healing Together
by Gabby21.S
Summary: After years of taking down the toughest of serial criminals and being head of the BAU, Emily Prentiss has decided to take on yet another challenge, fostering a teenage girl. After two years her care, will their relationship be strong enough to face life challenges in their way? Will they be able to overcome their past or will they always be tied to it with no escape? Time: Pre-S14
1. First Day

**Chapter one **

"Dani come on now. You don't want to be late for your first day," Emily says.

"Just give me a sec."

"You have been telling me that a while ago," says the older brunette in a slightly annoyed tone.

Dani descends down the stairs and enters the kitchen where Emily is at. The teen is around 5,5 in height, with rather athletic toned body shape. The girl has dark brownish short hair, reaching down to her collarbone. Her soft tan skin combined well with her hazel eyes.

"Hey come on, you can't blame me. I need to look good for the first day," Dani tells Emily, giving her a wink. She is wearing a simple but yet nice white T-shirt, along with a pair of jeans and a nice black bomber jacket.

Emily chuckles giving Dani a breakfast sandwich. "Here, with this, you will feel very energized."

"You know, I would feel pretty good with an iced coffee."

"We talked about this, you are way too young to let your body run on caffeine," Emily says " An orange juice should do the trick."

"Fine," Dani responds slightly rolling her eyes, "But you can't stop me once they finish building that McDonald's down the street."

"Watch me," says Emily in a determined tone. She grabs her car keys and signals Dani to the door. "Let's go."

They head out and enter the car. The drive was uneventful with just small talk.

"You have your schedule ready?" Asked Emily, still staring at the road.

"Yep. It's on my phone. The classes look interesting. I'm not looking forward to Algebra."

"I remember those days. I wasn't fond of math either, but don't worry, you will get the hang of it." Emily tells her smiling.

They arrive at the school. A tall building with four floors that stretches out. There are 3 visible tennis courts at the front. The grass is cut and the bushes trimmed nicely. Crowds of students surrounding the building chattering. At the front, there is a banner that says "Welcome Freshmen to Benjamin Academy HS. Home of the Bulldogs!"

Dani looks at the building amused. "This is a high school? My god."

"It is pretty impressive." Emily nods. "Well, you better get going before the bell rings."

Dani gets her bookbag and quickly checks that she has everything she needs. Once she is done, she zips up her bag and looks at Emily. "Alright, I think I'm good."

Emily smiles and runs a palm over Dani's cheek. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. " Take care, have fun and don't forget to text me when you arrive back home, okay?"

"Yes, mam," Dani tells her smirking. She opens the door and steps out of the car.

"I love you," Emily tells her.

"Yo Tambien," Dani responds.

Emily watches as she sees Dani walk up to the entrance. Dani stops and heads towards a group of friends. They all greet each other and walk inside the building. Emily smiles and starts to drive.


	2. Meeting Her

_**Hey guys! New chapter today. The background story for this part. Might post a new chapter on Saturday so stay on the lookout. Question? Suggestions? Leave it down in the comments. Enjoy :)**_

**Chapter 2**

It's been two years since Emily took Dani in. She remembers exactly how she met Dani. She has mixed emotions when thinking about it.

**2 Years Ago**

_A serial killer was on the loose in the suburbs of Maryland. All 6 victims were family members of addicts. The BAU were all searching for the identity of the unsub before he finds his next victim._

"_The unsub most likely had a family member that was an addict. A head of household, so either a mother or father." States Alvez._

"_The reason why he may be striking the family members is because of a feeling of abandonment because of them," Tara explains._

"_Garcia, check any addiction cases that happened 20 years back. Cross-reference to addicts who were the head of the family and whose children were sent to a foster home instead of living with a family member," Emily directs._

"_Yes, mam. I'm on it," Garcia responds. She quickly types down the information on her computer. "Okay. I have 5 results, but two of them passed away because of addiction. Another person currently lives in Florida while the other lives in North Carolina, which leaves us with...oh."_

"_What happened Garcia?" Questioned JJ._

"_His name is William Jones. He is 28. His mother was an addict and father is unknown. According to this, his uncle and aunt wanted nothing to do with him so they sent him to an orphanage."_

"_He fits our profile," Rosi says. "Garcia, any last known location?"_

"_On it," She types in search of a response._

_The sheriff of the county enters the office. "Sorry to disturb but I was just informed that a 13-year-old girl was kidnapped on her way to school. Her mother was an addict."_

"_Garcia?" Emily says._

"_Got it. I sent it to you guys."_

"_Come on guys. We need to get there before it's too late," Emily states and they all go out._

_They arrive at a small house that looks abandoned. Emily, Tara, and Alvez took the front of the house while Matt and Rossi took the back. Reid and JJ took the side door._

_The team enters the house and clears off the first floor. Emily, Tara, and Alvez head upstairs while the rest search the basement. As Emily approaches one of the rooms, she notices a man inside. "FBI, don't move!" she yells._

_He jumps, startled by the agent. He steps back against the wall, with one hand holding a knife. He points at the girl who is curled up, hands and feet tied. _

"_William, you don't want to do this," Emily says looking at him. "It's not her fault."_

"_You don't know that. She left her mother, not giving a damn what would happen to her! Only the worst type of people would do that!" He yells, starting to shake._

"_I know what happened to you and your mom. It wasn't fair. Neither of you deserved that. But listen to me when I tell you that this girl has done nothing wrong. You doing this will not help anyone."_

"_Then what will? What will help people like my mother?" He questions, sounding like he is on the verge of tears._

"_We will help you, William. If you drop the knife and let her go, we can help you."_

_William looks at the girl. She is visibly shaking and has her head down. He looks back at Emily and drops the knife. Alvez quickly apprehends him while Tara searches for any more possible weapons. Emily walks towards the girl. She kneels down and starts to untie her. The girl instantly flinches. _

_Emily looks at her and says. "Hey, it's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you."_

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_They arrive back at the station. The girl is treated for minor injuries while the team is interrogating William. Emily talked to Garcia in order to know more about this girl. _

"_Her name is Daniela Sofia Hernandez. She is 13. She lived with her mom in Bladensburg, right outside of DC. Her mother Sofia was an addict. She passed away 3 days ago. Her father Marco is in jail for drug distribution. Her only sibling was her older brother Lucas. He was shot when Dani was 7." By the end of her sentence, Garcia had a lump in her throat._

"_Does she have any other relatives?" Emily asked in a worried tone._

"_No. Ever since CPS knew about her mother's addiction, they would take her to foster homes. She would just run away and go back to her mother."_

_Emily thanked Garcia and ended the call. She thought about what would be Daniela's future. Dani had no family members for her to stay with. Her future would be in a group home. Emily knows that a group home wouldn't be fit for a child who has suffered so much trauma. What scared Emily the most is the thought of Dani having the same future as her mother. Emily has dealt with so many hard cases before, but each time she looks at Dani, she saw a fragile girl who needed someone in her life to heal her wounds._

_The sheriff enters the room where Emily is at. "I want to thank you and your team for all your help. We couldn't have done it without you guys. The case is closed. Daniela would be sent into the system to be fostered. Again, thank you."_

"_No problem sir, but I need a favor from you." _

"_Sure thing agent, what do you need?"_

"_I want to be the person who fosters Dani."_


	3. Magical Potion

_**Hey guys. New chapter today! I am planning on having an upload schedule of Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe chime in some Saturday's. I'm working with future chapters right now since I have 2 weeks off school. (This outbreak is getting out of hand) Alright, let me know what you think about the upload schedule and the story. Enjoy :)**_

**Chapter 3**

Emily arrives at Quantico. The elevator opens and Emily steps inside. She is greeted with a warm smile from Garcia.

"Well hello there, my very lovely lady. How are you doing?" Garcia asked, giving Emily a hug.

"I'm doing very well, thank you." Returning the hug. They walk towards the lounge where they see JJ preparing a coffee.

"I see you are preparing your magical potion to help you get through today," says Garcia smiling.

"Yes, without this I don't think I could make it," pointing at her mug.

"You aren't the only one. Dani uses ice coffee to wake her up. That kid will end up having caffeine in her bloodstream." Emily says, shaking her head.

"It's just the life of a non-morning person. How is my sweet pumpkin by the way?" Garcia asked.

"She is doing pretty well. She is enjoying her boxing lessons. Today is her first day in high school."

"Ooo, that sounds interesting. What school is she going to?" JJ asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"It's obviously the best of the best for her. She deserves everything. Some private high school around here?" asked Garcia.

"Even though I did want her to attend a private school, Dani insisted on attending a public one. It's a really good school though. They have really good programs and it's nearby." Emily responds. The truth is, she really wanted Dani to attend a private school. Dani told her that it wasn't necessary for her to attend a private one. She told Emily that she would feel more comfortable if she attended public school. Emily understood this. She wanted Dani to feel good and not pressured. Emily believes that another reason why Dani doesn't want to attend a private school is due to the fact that Dani believes that she isn't worth being at that level. Emily has tried to show her that Dani is worth a lot, but Dani doesn't feel that way. Emily hopes that one day Dani gives herself the self-worth that she needs.

"As long as she is happy in that school, everything will roll smoothly." Garcia states. "I bet she already has a lot of boys looking to be near her," she says, giving Emily a wink.

"Oh God, please no," Emily says shaking her head. "Please, I am dreading for that day to happen."

"Only a matter of time, mama bear," Garcia responds, nudging Emily's shoulder.

"You don't have to worry so much Em. Once the boys find out that Dani's mom is an FBI agent with a gun, they would most likely back out," JJ says with a chuckle. "And knowing you. Just look at them with a stern face and they will run out."

The three agents laugh as they head out of the lounge.

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Back at the school, Dani is sitting next to her friends during lunch.

"Ughhhh, why did summer had to end so fast?" Emma asked. "I barely have the energy to get through today," resting her hands on the table.

"I know, I want to go back to the beach and watch the hot babes pass by," James states.

"Okay there you perv, you need to calm down," Dani chuckles. "I'm just glad I know someone in every class."

"Honestly, same," says Amelia. "As long as I don't have classes with them, I'm good." pointing at a table filled with a mix of male and female freshmen. They are known for causing chaos and picking up fights. "Someone needs to put them in their place."

"If they ever come towards us, we place James and Dani on the front line of defense," Emma says.

"Hey, why us?" asked James.

"Because you play football and because Dani does boxing. We all know that Dani did some street fighting back then," says Emma looking at Dani.

"Wait a second. One, what is James going to do? Throw a football at them. Two, yes I do box but that is just for fun. Three, I stopped fighting a while ago. You all know that." Dani says, taking a bite at her pizza.

Ever since she moved in with Emily, she never went back to fighting people for cash. She never liked it. She just did it to get money to buy her and her mother something to eat.

"Besides, just use one of your strong ass perfume and spray it in their eyes," James says chuckling.

"But it is not as strong as your smell after practice," says Amelia pinching her nose. The whole table started laughing and enjoyed the rest of their lunch.


	4. A Calm Evening

**Hey guys, new chapter today. Thank so much for all the positive feedback. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I will post a new one this Thursday so stay tuned. Any questions or suggestions, leave them in the comments. :)**

**Chapter 4**

_Ding_

The bell rings for dismissal. Dani packs up her books and steps out of the classroom. She grabs her book bag out of her locker and waits for Emma. They both walk together heading back home.

"I feel pretty confident about passing every class except for French. I should have taken Spanish instead," says Emma. "You would have been a great asset in that class."

Dani chuckles. "Si, yo te hubiera ayudado mucho. But, we get to suffer together."

"That sounds lovely," Emma replies. They eventually arrive at Dani's place. "You have arrived at your destination, my friend."

They both hug and Dani enters the building. She leaves her bookbag on the couch while she fetches a quick snack. As promised, she dialed Emily.

"Hey Honey, how was your day?" Emily asked.

"It was good. Feels great to be back in prison," Dani murmurs.

Emily chuckles. "Did you eat something?"

"Yes. These potato chips should do the trick."

"No. I meant actual food. Real food." Emily says, bringing out her motherly side.

"Well, I consider food anything that you can eat and drink as long as your stomach can digest it."

"You smarty pants," Emily responds smiling. She loves Dani's humor. It makes her work time fly by. "I will be out in two hours. Finish any homework you have so we can eat dinner together. Esta Bien?"

"Si, Si. Don't worry."

"Okay, see you later."

"Bye."

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Emily and the rest of the team finish their paperwork for the day. They all packed up and said their goodbyes. Emily starts her car and heads home.

She arrives and opens the door. She takes off her shoes and hangs her coat. She walks towards the living room where she sees Dani cleaning her guitar while listening to music.

"Hey, you. What are you doing?" Emily asks, taking a seat on the couch.

"Cleaning this up. How was work?" Dani says, placing the guitar back to its stand.

"Quiet and calm, which is rare. Lots of paperwork though."

"Eww. Your job has two opposite ends. Either you travel and don't have time to sit to find the killer or you stay in your office and all you do is sit."

"The life of an agent," Emily says winking at Dani. "So, Dinner?" The agent gets up and Dani is following behind her. They agreed on pasta so they got everything ready. When they were done cooking, Emily took out two plates while Dani got the cups. They both sat down and started to eat.

"So, how are your classes? Any interesting one?" Emily asked.

"They look good for the most part. Except for French. Emma was right, I should have taken Spanish."

"What do you mean? You already know Spanish," Emily says, taking a sip of water.

"Exactly. I would have crushed it," said Dani.

"Well, if you need any help in that class, I would be glad to," Emily tells her.

"Oh yeah. I forgot that you speak French! How much would you charge per assignment?" Giving Emily a smirk.

Emily gives a small chuckle. "In your dreams."

"Aww. C'mon agent, there has to be something I can bribe you with," she said with her brows raised.

"Nope. Not with me. Sorry, sweetie."

Dani frowns. "I ain't giving up so easily. I will find your weakness," Dani said with determination. Emily chuckles.

The two of them finished eating and were cleaning up.

"I got a call today from Ms. Jones. She wants to meet up with us to check-in," Emily says, washing the dishes.

"Oh great. She is probably going to ask me a whole bunch of questions," Dani responds rolling her eyes. She never liked the social workers she had. Dani believed that they were two-faced people. This thought was because of personal experience.

"I know it gets tiring, but just hang in there," Emily says, giving her a hopeful smile.

They both get ready for bed. Emily is finishing brushing her teeth while Dani is preparing her stuff for school. Emily enters Dani's room. Dani is wearing an oversized shirt with pajama shorts. Dani hated wearing pants when she sleeps.

"You ready to sleep?" Emily questions

"Yep. I don't feel like going to school in a zombie state."

"I agree with that," Emily says. She walks towards Dani and gives her a small kiss on her temple. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight, Em."


	5. I Failed

**Hey Guys! New chapter today. It's an overall sad chapter, sorry. Thank you all for the positive feedback! I will be posting a new chapter next Tuesday so be on a lookout. Questions, comments? Leave it in the comment section. Enjoy:)**

**Chapter 5**

_Dani is walking through the park. It was a nice day with good weather. Dani sits down at a nearby bench. A boy, around Dani's age, sits next to her._

"_What are you doing here?" The boy asked, having a similar voice that Dani has heard before._

"_What do you mean? I-"_

"_I told you to take care of mom. What are you doing here?" The boy asked again looking at her. It was her brother, Lucas._

"_Lucas? I thought you-"_

_Where is mom? You had to take care of her, what happened?" Lucas states in a cold, angry voice._

"_Mom is… she is dead," Dani responded in a low voice, looking down._

"_Dani! I told you to do one thing and you fail me? What kind of person are you?" Lucas asked with a face of disgust. _

"_I'm sorry, Lucas. I swear I tried to help her," Dani tells him._

"_You are lying and you know it!"_

_Dani looks at the floor, tears falling down. "I'm sorry. You are right, it's my fault."_

"_Tu tienes la culpa y lo sabes! Como puedes vivir sabiendo esto?"_

"_Lo Siento. I'm very sorry." She says, her voice cracking._

"_You failed me, Dani. You are an absolute failure" _

_"you are right. I failed. I'm sorry."_

"_Dani."_

"_Dani."_

Dani opens her eyes in a sudden change of scenery. She sees Emily above her with a worried look. Emily is smoothing Dani's face while Dani is trying to understand what was happening.

It was just a dream. Dani looks at Emily, guilt in the girl's eyes.

"Shh, its okay Dani. It was just a bad dream." Emily tells her in a soothing tone.

Dani sits up and looks at Emily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Dani rubs her eyes.

"Don't worry, okay? Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah… it was just a dream. Not that big of a deal."

Emily holds Dani's hands and looks at her. "Honey, you are shaking."

Dani notices and tries to calm down.

"Was it about your brother, Lucas? You mentioned him in your sleep."

Dani nodded.

Emily lifts Dani's chin up. "What happened in your dream, Dan?"

Dani drifted her look away from Emily. She exhaled deeply and looked down at the floor.

"One day, Lucas and I went to the park," Dani began. "We were better off outside than inside the house due to...well you know. We were out playing, having fun. Once it was starting to get dark, we were heading back home." Emily looked at her, patiently listening. "We stopped at the corner store and we bought ice cream. Our favorite flavor, chocolate chip," Dani says with a weary smile. "Once we stepped out to the parking lot, there was a drive-by shooting. Lucas quickly pushed me behind a car, causing me to fall on the floor. When the shooting stopped, I got up and saw him on the floor," Dani feels a lump forming in her throat. " I looked back and saw that he got shot in the abdomen. There was lots of blood. I looked at him and he was barely conscious. He told me that he loved me and to take care of mom for him." Dani had tears in her eyes and tried to blink them away. "After he said that he closed his eyes. I never saw them open again." She said the last sentence in a whisper.

Emily looked at Dani heartbroken. "Oh baby, come here," Emily embraces Dani with her arms. She is holding her tight, refusing to let go. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"I promised him that I would take care of mom and I failed. I failed at my brother's last wish," she tells Emily. Dani can no longer contain her tears. The floodgates open.

Emily rests her head on top of Dani. "Honey, this isn't your fault. Your mother passing away is not your fault. You did your best to take care of her. What happened was something that you couldn't control."

"Then why does it feel like it?" Dani asked, sounding heartbroken and defeated.

Emily presses a soft kiss on Dani's head, holding her. She cradles Dani like a mother would cradle a small child. Emily knew what happened to Lucas because of police reports, but she was never told from Dani's perspective. Dani never touched the subject ever since she met Emily. In part, Emily is glad that Dani has the confidence to tell her this. On the other hand, it breaks Emily's heart watching Dani suffer. Dani is the kind of person who would never show her emotions in front of others. It takes a lot to break her. And this situation destroys her.

Emily just holds Dani, comforting her until Dani falls back asleep.


	6. Visiting The BAU

**Hey guys! New chapter today. It's a rather short chapter but don't worry, I will upload the next chapter this Thursday. We are visiting the BAU today. Questions or comments? leave it ib the comments. All feedback is appreciated. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 6**

The rest of the week passes by swiftly. Dani and her friends got adjusted to their school schedule. They were eagerly waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. Once it did, all of the students ran out the door. After completing the first week of school, they were desperately waiting for the weekend to roll in.

Dani and her friends were chatting in front of the school before they left.

"This first week went by so slow," James said. "I can't wait to go out and have some fun."

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do?" Asked Amelia.

"Well, I'm going out with my cousins. We plan to go to this cool arcade that just opened," He responded. "How about you girls?"

"The mall is a must," Amelia replied.

"Oh, I plan on catching up on sleep and relax," Emma replied.

"I will explore wherever the wind takes me," Dani says.

"Knowing you, that sounds like an adventure," James says.

"Oh, you know it," Dani replies with a wink. "I gotta go. Emily told me to stop by her workplace."

"That is so cool. Being with a bunch of FBI agents sounds interesting," James says looking at Dani.

"As long as they don't check my record, I'm good," She says. Dani says bye to her friends and starts walking to Quantico. She would normally take the bus to go there, but the weather was pleasant. She puts on her headphones and starts to walk.

She arrives at Quantico and shows her visitor ID at the front. She goes inside the elevator and arrives at the BAU. She enters and says hi to the security that is at the front. The security knows who Dani is and therefore lets her pass. The first person who sees Dani is Garcia, who was preparing her third coffee cup. Designed as a Unicorn of course.

"Is that Daring Dani I see?" Garcia says excitedly. "How are you sugar bear?" She walks towards Dani, opening her arms for a hug.

Dani smiles, receiving Garcia's embrace. "Hey, Penelope. I'm good," Dani responds, smiling. "Where is everyone else?"

"Oh, they are at the lounge. Paperwork can make a person very hungry," Garcia says. She guides Dani to the lounge, with her arm wrapped on Dani. They arrive at the lounge. JJ, Spencer, and Tara are sitting down, eating food. Matt and Alvez are both getting something to drink. JJ notices Garcia walking in with Dani.

"Hey, you," JJ says with a big smile. "I'm glad you're here." She walks up and hugs Dani. Dani returns the hug.

She looks up at the rest of the team. "Hey, guys," she greets with a smile. She walks towards each team member and gives them a small hug. Dani sits down next to Garcia.

"Hey, kid. Want something to drink?" Alvez asked. "We have some Sprite," he says with a smile. The team knows how much Dani loves the Soda brand.

Dani opens her eyes. "I would love one," she says smiling.

Alvez opens the fridge and takes out a Sprite. He hands it to Dani and she thanks him.

"I don't think it's a good idea handing Dani that soda, Luke. You know how Emily is when it comes to that," Tara says.

"Don't worry about it, Luke. I take full responsibility for this," Dani says, pointing at the soda can.

"I hope you're right. She can be pretty scary," Alvez says looking at Dani.

"Tell me about it," Dani says, rolling her eyes. "If a boy is ten feet near me, she stares at his soul until he runs away."

The team starts laughing. They all picture Emily doing something like that. She was very protective of Dani.

"What are you guys laughing about?"


	7. Someone Has To

**Sup yall. New chapter today! I plan on uploading a new chapter this Saturday so be on the lookout. All positive feedback is welcomed! Any questions or suggestions? Leave it in the comment section. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 7**

"_What are you guys laughing about?_

The team stops laughing abruptly. Dani pauses, with a Poker Face. She turns around to face the Brunette. Dani gives Emily a nervous smile. "Nothing."

"Yeah right," Emily says, "Reid, what was the joke?" Emily asked, grabbing a chair sitting next to Dani.

"They were just talking about you and the power you have when it comes to repelling any male counterparts away from Dani," Reid says. "With the Alpha dominance that you display, I can't say that they are wrong."

"Well, in that case, I will continue to display my dominance," Emily says looking at Dani.

"I don't think you can stop intimidating them, even if you tried," Dani said.

The team started to laugh. Emily nudges Dani's shoulder playfully. In response, Dani sticks out her tongue. She loved messing with the agent.

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The team went back to work. Dani went to Garcia's Layer. She admired how colorful the woman's desk was. Filled with cool pens, colorful mini plushies, and all sorts of knick-knacks. Her whole desk had the name Garcia on it. Dani was glad to meet someone like her. Garcia is one of a kind person who radiates love and positive energy. Dani wished she had half the energy Garcia has.

"How was the first week of High School?" Garcia asked. She was typing out some documents but this task was a breeze for her.

"It's going pretty well. I'm just not sure about french though. Bribing Emily is pretty hard."

Garcia chuckles. "I don't think that trick is going to work sugarplum. Emily is a pretty hard person to try to bargain with."

"That is very true," Dani states.

Emily walks into the room, holding some files.

"What can we do for you my sweet brunette?" Garcia asked. Dani smiles.

"Hey, guys. We have a case. All the information is here. It's in Boston," she says, handing Garcia the file. Emily looks at Dani, whose smile faded away slowly. Dani sees Emily looking at her so she quickly flashes a smile.

"I'm sorry I have to go, Dan," Emily says, giving her an apologetic look.

"It's no problem. When duty calls you have to answer," Dani replies. "Someone has to catch the killer," she looks at Emily, trying to sound unbothered. Dani stands up and stretches. "I should get going." She walks towards Garcia and gives her a hug.

"Do you need anything before you go?" asked the agent.

"No. I think I'm good," Dani replies. Emily looks at Dani and gives her a hug. She releases Dani, looking at her.

"Cuidate por favor, hmm?"

"No te preocupes. I promise I won't get arrested," Dani says, giving her a smirk.

Emily shakes her head, smiling. She gives Dani a quick kiss on the cheek. Dani walks out, giving Emily a small wave. Emily watches as Dani leaves and heads up where her team is waiting for her.


	8. At The Deli

**Hello! New chapter today! I plan on uploading the next chapter on tuesday. Any questions about the story so far? Feel free to ask in the comment section and I will gladly reply. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 8**

Dani wakes up the next morning. It was roughly ten in the morning. Dani enjoyed the fact that she wasn't woken up by an alarm. She went downstairs and prepared herself a bowl of cereal. While eating, she receives a text from Antonio, Dani's friend from her hometown.

_Antonio: Hey, Dan. The gang and I were wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch later_

_Dani: Hmm… sounds good. Where do you guys want to meet up?_

_Antonio: How about at the Deli we used to go to? I know how much you love the fries over there_

_Dani: Perfect. Te veo luego_

Dani finishes her cereal and washes her plate. She starts to get dressed. The weather was pretty warm, so she just wore some light blue jeans with a tee. She was very excited to see her friends again. Dani knew Antonio, Jose, and Camila ever since elementary. They always got into trouble together. Thanks to them, Dani got into the singing gig. Antonio would talk to owners of local restaurants who would let them play. They would sing during weekends. Song genres vary from happy dancing songs to heartbreaking songs. This is one of the few parts that Dani misses about her town.

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In Boston, the BAU tries to solve 8 murders that have occurred in nearby lakes.

"The M.O. for these murders are the same. Stabbed four times in the back and then the body is disposed of in the lake," Ross says, looking at the pictures of the latest crime scene.

"All of these victims were visiting the lake," Matt says. "They are most likely caught off guard when the Unsub attacks them. A blitz attack."

"The thing is, why tie a bag on the victim's head once they are dead?" JJ asks.

"It's a signature from the Unsub. He most likely has a personal meaning," Reid responds.

"Garcia, any connections between the victims?" Emily asked.

"Zilch. None of the victims have similar jobs, families, hobbies, or super dark secrets," Garcia answers. "The only connection that they have is that they were all murdered."

"What if it has nothing to do with the victims? What if it's just about the location?" Reid asked.

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Dani arrives at the Deli. She immediately sees her friends and walks up to them with a smile. Jose notices and waves at her.

"Dani! Long time no see, mija," Jose says with a smile. The three friends get up and hug Dani.

"Hola, chicos," Dani says, "Sorry, but no autographs today," she says chuckling. The four of them sit at a table near a window.

"We already ordered for you. Hope you still like seasoned fries with cold lemonade," Antonio says. "Or did you get used to the rich food you eat now?" Antonio asked with a raised brow.

"How dare you say that. I am very loyal when it comes to food." Dani replies. Their food is ready and Jose brings it to the table. The group starts to eat.

"How have you been Dan? You still living with the cop?" Jose asked.

"It's been going pretty well. I do still live with the cop. I figure I am better off with her than somewhere else," Dani replies.

"That's good to know," Camila said. "Now you have someone to keep you on track," she said with a smile.

"Who would have thought that Daniela Hernandez would be living with a cop," Antonio says. "And not just any cop, you live with a fucking FBI agent."

"I know. I don't have the best relationships when it comes to the feds. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be living with one."

"Esta de locos," Jose stated. "I mean, you are the daughter of Marco Rivera. Damn girl, you went from being the daughter of the most powerful man in Blade to a cop's kid."

"Am I considered his daughter if I haven't seen him for years? I don't even know what he looks like."

"Well just because you don't consider yourself his daughter don't mean others will," Antonio said. " Los Bravos still look at you as a threat."

"Damnit," Dani shakes her head. "Are they still going at each other's neck?"

"You know Damn well they are. Their rivalry will never end. They fight each other over territory and power." Antonio says. "Even though your pops is in jail, he still controls this shit."

Dani thinks about what Antonio said. She knows he is right. She is the daughter of a man who rules over this town. She is the only one who has his blood. She knows for sure he wants her to take on his business. She also knows the risk of her stepping in the wrong neighborhood. Her head has a price and she knows it.

"Ten mucho cuidado, Dani," Camila states. "You have to take care."

They finish their food and hang out for a few hours. Dani had no one waiting for her at home so she figured out she should stick around with her friends. They chatted and even played soccer like old times. Eventually, Dani knew she had to get going. She said bye to her friends and promised she would be back soon.


	9. Bullying Can Be Brutal

**Sup people! New chapter today! We are joining the team on a case so get ready. Any questions you guys have so far? Leave it in the comment section and I would glady answer them. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 9**

It has been four days since the team arrived in Boston. There were two more murders at a local lake. No witnesses were at the scene.

"The last two murders were more sadistic. He stabbed both victims 12 times." Tara says.

"He is becoming more disorganized. He is unable to control his anger any more." Reid states.

"We know he has no connection to the victim," JJ says. "It's about the environment. The unsub must have suffered some sort of trauma near a lake."

"This most likely happened during his childhood," Rossi chimes in. "We said that the bag was his signature. What if he suffered some sort of torture that involved suffocation?"

"Garcia, search for any police records that involve crimes near lakes or streams in the state. It had to happen roughly thirty years ago," Emily says.

"I have a long list here. I need something else to lower it down, Garcia says.

"We said that the Unsub was tortured during his childhood," Alvez said. "What if it was on a school trip or at a camp. Bullying can be pretty brutal."

Garcia starts typing. "The agent is right. I see a lot of records in regards to bullying. Some of them are just awful."

"Search for any schools or camps near a lake in search of similar records," Emily says.

"Yes, mam. I will get back to you guys in a few." Garcia hangs up.

The team starts gathering in order to find out where the unsub will target next. Emily receives a phone call. She answers.

"Prentiss," she says with a dominant tone.

"Sheesh. You sound like a scary dictator," Dani replies.

Emily gives a slight chuckle. She steps outside the office and talks to Dani. "Hey, honey. Sorry. I didn't see it was you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you that I am going to spend the night at Emma's," Dani told Emily. "If you let me."

"Sure thing, as long as you don't get in any trouble."

"Ha. Trouble is my middle name," Dani says. Emily shakes her head with a grin. "How's the case?"

"We are getting there. We are missing a few pieces of the puzzle."

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out," Dani says. "Alright agent, I will leave you so you can catch the guy."

"Alright. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Emily heads back to the office. The team gathers around the intercom in order to hear Garcia's findings.

"So I searched for camps near lakes and check this out," she starts. "About thirty years ago, there was a camp in Lake Attitash. A boy named James. Camp records show that a group of boys took him to the lake where they were drowning him. They placed a bag over his head while dumping his head inside the water. James' parents tried to press charges, but there wasn't sufficient evidence."

"That sounds like him alright," Emily says. "Any last known location?"

"Yes. I have both housing and workplace. I sent it to you guys already." Garcia responds.

"Thank you, Garcia," Emily says, turning off the intercom. "Alright. JJ, Reid, and Matt, you guys go and search at his workplace. Rossi, Alvez, and I will head to his home. Tara, you will talk to James' parents. Officers will be going with you."

The team heads out to their designated location. Rossi is driving the car while Emily receives a call from Garcia.

"Guys, we have a problem. There was a report of a kidnap. Jeffree Flower was taken by force while at a parking lot in his job," she said. "He was one of the people who bullied William."

"Okay. Now he has a personal connection with the victim," Rossi says. "He is most likely going to the same lake where the camp used to be located." Rossi starts redirecting his route to the lake. Once they arrive, the three of them get out of the car and start walking through a trail. As they are walking, they hear someone screaming for help. The team starts heading towards the direction of the screams. When they arrive, they see James holding Jeffree, who is tied up with a plastic bag over his face. He is soaked in water.

"James Davis, FBI!" Alvez stated.

"Please. Help me," begged Jeffree to the agents, coughing out his words.

"Shut Up!" Exclaimed William. He grabs Jeffree into a headlock position, pointing the knife at his throat.

"James put the knife down and let him go," Rossi said. "This is not the way to punish him."

"You have no idea how it was like being tortured by this son of a bitch!" James yelled. "He made me suffer and didn't get punished!"

"But if you do this, the only person who is going to get punished is you." Replied Rossi. "You don't want that. It's not fair that you will end up in jail for a person like this." He glances at Jeffree and looks back at James. "You already have what you wanted. After this, he will be scarred for life. Now let him go. Do not stoop to his level."

James looks down at Jeffree, who is trembling in fear. James drops the knife and puts his hands up. Rossi and Emily go up to James and arrest him. Alvez unties Jeffree, taking off the bag that was over his head. Paramedics arrive at the scene to check on Jeffree. The team leaves, heading back to the station.

Everyone packed up their stuff and headed off to the Jet. The team was glad that the case was over. Rossi wanted a drink with Krystall, Alvez missed Roxy, Tara wanted to visit her father while Reid wanted to check up on his mother. JJ and Matt were getting prepared for an avalanche of hugs they were going to receive from their kids. Emily was feeling slightly sad knowing that Dani wasn't going to be home when she arrived. She thought it was only fair. After all, she did leave Dani alone for almost a week. She just couldn't wait for Dani to return.


	10. Pizza Night

**Hello! We made it to 10 chapters! I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Sorry for the weird coding that I posted last night. Special thanks to ****Bohogal1998 ****for helping solve this issue. Next chapter will be posted on Tuesday :)**

**Chapter 10**

During the next day, Emily went to go get some groceries before Dani came back from school. She texted the teenager that she arrived back from Boston and told her to come back with an appetite. Dani knew what this meant. It meant Emily was going to order something to eat because her culinary skills are not the best.

Emily arrived back home with groceries. She went to go put them away and ordered pizza. For the remainder of the day, she was catching up on paperwork. Emily never liked wasting time when she could be doing something productive. Being a work addict was her weakness. She knows it could be unhealthy from time to time but, what else can she do when she is the head of the BAU?

Four o'clock comes around and Dani arrives home. She opens the door and is welcomed with a fresh smell of pizza. She took off her shoes and hung her sweater. She enters the living room and see's Emily on her computer.

"Hello, agent. I see you are enjoying your _break_," Dani says, hence the word break with air quotes. Emily looks up, startled.

"Geez. I didn't notice that you arrived," Emily said, getting up. She walks towards Dani and gives her a hug.

"I should be the one who is surprised," Dani says, still embraced by the brunette. "If you wouldn't have texted me, I would have thought you were a burglar."

Emily releases Dani and looks at her. "I'm sorry for being out for a while, Honey."

"It's alright," she replied. She looked at Emily, who didn't look so convinced. "But, if your one-sided guilt won't leave you alone, I totally accept pizza as an apology," Dani says with a smile.

"That sounds like a deal," Emily responded. She guided Dani to the kitchen with one hand wrapped around her. Emily pulls out two plates and serves a slice for each plate. Dani gets the plates and places them on the table while Emily retrieves the wings and soda.

The two of them start eating. While Dani was serving herself a cup of soda, Emily asked "What did you do during these days?"

"Sorry, agent, can't tell. It's top-secret," Dani said with a smirk.

"Very funny," Emily said with a sarcastic tone. "What did you do?"

"Well, over the weekend I went to visit some friends back in my hometown," she said. "We went out and ate. Catch up on our lives and hang out at the park."

"I'm glad you got to see them," Emily said with a smile.

"Me too. I really missed those guys. We would do the dumbest things we could possibly imagine," Dani said with a chuckle. Emily raised an eyebrow, curious at the statement. "Don't worry. They were legal… for the most part."

Emily just rolled her eyes. "Alright. Remember that tomorrow when you come back from school we have to meet up with the social worker."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that," Dani said. "Woohoo. I can't wait," she said with a sarcastic voice.

"Same here. But, it will just be for a while."

"I hope so." They finish eating and clean up. Dani goes upstairs and starts on her homework while Emily finishes her paperwork. After the agent is done, she goes upstairs and enters Dani's room. When entering, she hears guitar strings being played in a soft tune. She sees Dani sitting on her bed playing her guitar. Dani glances up and see's Emily at her door entrance.

"Hey," Emily says. "I see you are playing some tunes."

"Just practicing a bit. It's been a while since I have actually played a song."

"I see," she said, sitting on the side of Dani's bed. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to watch a movie together. Obviously, you will still go to bed on time for school."

Dani smiles. "Sure thing. I will prepare the popcorn." Dani places her guitar on the stand and makes her way downstairs with Emily. As Dani is preparing the popcorn, Emily is scrolling through movies.

"Any movie request?" Emily asked. Dani arrived at the living room with two bowls of popcorn in hand.

"Not really. As long as they are not cringy love stories, I'm good." She sits next to Emily and places the bowls on the coffee table.

Emily chuckles. "How about a horror movie? I haven't seen any movies that scare me."

"I highly doubt any movie can scare you," Dani said. "I mean, those crazy cases you have to solve are just something else."

"That is true. But that won't stop me from trying to find a scary movie," she said. "How about A Quiet Place?" she said, hovering at the movie's title.

"I heard it's pretty good," Dani replies. "Play it. Let's see who is the first one to get scared."

"That sounds like a bet," Emily said. She pressed play and the movie starts. Dani gets a large, red blanket that was on the side of the couch. With half of it she covers herself while handing the other half to Emily, who also covers herself. The agent snuggles closer to Dani, who in response lays her head on Emily's shoulder. Emily wraps her arm around Dani and watches the movie.

The movie ended, leaving Dani intrigued. "What? Why did the movie end in a cliffhanger?"

"Well, they are most likely going to make a second part," Emily says while standing up. "I guess you have to wait until they release it."

"Aww," Dani said. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Emily smiled at Dani, thinking her gesture was cute.

"You should go to sleep Dan. I will clean the rest of this up," Emily told Dani.

"No. I'm good. I could help you," Dani responded, trying to look energetic.

"It's okay. I got this," Emily said. She walks towards Dani and places both arms on her shoulders. "You should go get some rest. You have school and then an appointment. I need you to have the energy for both, okay?"

"Alright, you win," Dani said.

"I always do," Emily replies with a grin. She brushes Dani's cheek and gives her a kiss on her temple. "Rest well."

"You too," Dani replies.

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Dani was at lunch with her friends. They were all waiting to get food in the line, hoping that there was anything good left. When they get their trays, they all sit down at the same table and start to eat.

"I can't believe our algebra teacher is already giving us a test," said James. "It's just the second week of school! What's the big idea?"

"I don't know. All we have really done so far is review what we did last year," Amelia responded

"I just hope it-"

They hear a commotion at the back of the cafeteria. They all turn around and see a few of the male "Chaotics" members gather around and start throwing punches at a group of sophomores. They all start screaming and fighting. The rest of the students in the cafeteria started gathering around the fight and started videotaping. Dani sees how the sophomores get beat up badly. Security storms in and immediately separate them. She sees how the sophomores are all bruised up. Dani's friends were shocked when looking at them.

"My God. I can't believe that just happened," Emma said with her eyes wide open.

"Sheesh. I am never getting near the chaotics. I don't want to end up like that," Amelia said, pointing at the sophomores.

Security tells the students to head up back to class. They all grab their trays and dump them in the trash. Dani is walking with her friends not really paying attention to what they are saying. She was thinking about never wanting to get close to those people. She doesn't want to get in trouble all because of some dumb group who just causes trouble for fun. She just hopes she never crosses paths with them.


	11. Ms Jones

**Hello! New chapter today! Thank you all for fallowing this story. I write this as a way to entertain people during these difficult times. A new chapter on Thursday! Enjoy and be safe :)**

**Chapter 11**

Dani arrives back home from school. She unlocks the door and places her stuff away. She enters the living room where she sees Emily sitting on the couch with an older lady next to her. The lady was short, pale, and had grey hairstreaks. It was the social worker, Ms. Jones. The social worker noticed Dani at the entrance of the living room and stood up.

"Hello, Dani. Nice to see you again," said the older lady, stretching her hand for a shake.

"Nice to see you too, Ms. Jones," Dani replied, shaking the woman's hand.

Dani sits down next to Emily while the social worker sits on the other couch, face to face to both of them.

"So Emily, how have you guys been since the last visit? Any problems?" asked the lady, with a pen and clipboard in hand.

"We have been pretty good," answered Emily. "No issues so far."

"Is she attending school and the doctors regularly?"

"Yes, she has," Emily said while nodding.

"Any instances of running away?" the older woman asked.

"No. None at all," Emily replied with an assertive tone.

"That is very good. With the number of times you have run away from foster homes, Dani, you would have been placed in another branch of the system." Said the woman looking at Dani with a stern face. Dani nodded, biting her lip. Emily places her hand on top of Dani's, as a sign of reassurance.

"Agent, I know your job requires you to move across the country when needed. Is everything handled in regards to Dani's wellbeing while you are gone?"

"Yes. When I have a case that is out of state I always ensure Dani has everything she needs. I have a friend who checks on her and Dani can always call or text me if she needs anything." Emily replied.

Ms. Jones writes down notes of what Emily said. "Okay Dani, do you feel comfortable in the current house and school?"

"Yes. I feel comfortable here. I enjoy my school." Dani said.

"Okay. Have you been back to your hometown for any reason?"

"Yes. To go visit friends."

"Any interactions with gang members. Specifically, the gang in which your father was involved with." The lady asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dani frowns at the question. "No. Like I have mentioned before, I never took part in anything that is affiliated with Marco." Dani said in a stern voice.

"Are you sure? Your family does have a history with gangs."

"I'm positive," she replies. Emily raises her brow questioning the social worker's insistence on this topic.

"Have you ever contacted your biological father?"

Dani shakes her head. "No. I haven't seen or heard from him in years," Dani replied, sounding slightly annoyed. She didn't like when people connected her and her father. The only connection they have is blood. Her father never wanted anything to do with her or the rest of her family. All he wanted was money and power. Dani never wanted anything to do with the man who only brings her trouble.

"Sounds fair," replied the older woman. "He doesn't have any legal rights when it comes to you anyways. He-"

"Gave it up the second I was born," Dani replied coldly. Emily looked at her worried about what was going through Dani's mind. Dani just looked at the floor while the social worker was talking to Emily. They were talking about Dani's new school, extracurricular activities and other stuff Dani failed to pay attention to.

The social worker took a look around the house in order to ensure that Dani had ideal conditions to live in. Dani knew that the only reason the lady was doing this is due to the fact that Emily works with law enforcement and therefore knew how the system worked. Dani just shook her head while the lady was inspecting. Dani would remember the times when she would stay in foster homes that were not in living conditions. In some homes, it would be small and crowded with foster kids, barely having a decent place to sleep. In other homes, they would do sketchy stuff like drugs. In others, Dani wasn't treated the best. The people who were supposed to take care of her would either insult, harass, or even hit her. Dani gets mad when thinking about this. The times she actually needed the social worker to stop by for an inspection, they would never appear. And yet, the social worker questions why she would run away? Who wouldn't? It just wasn't fair.

The social worker was done with her inspection and spoke to Emily. She finally left telling them she would be back in a month.

Emily closes the door and enters the kitchen where Dani is serving herself a cup of orange juice. "Well, I think that meeting was pretty decent," Emily said.

Dani places her cup on the table and crosses her hands across her chest. "For you," Dani said with her brows raised. "She basically affiliated me as a gang member."

Emily looks at Dani with sorry eyes. "I also didn't like the way she said those things. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Dani said, shaking off her thoughts. "I should get used to it by now. I am the daughter of a gang leader. People see his actions reflected on me," Dani murmured, sitting down on a chair.

Hey, that's not true," Emily said. She walks towards Dani and stands behind her. Emily wraps her arms around Dani's shoulders, who is still sitting. "You reflect no one's actions but your own, Dan. trust me when I tell you that you have demonstrated how much of a great person you are."

"Not everyone sees that though," Dani said.

"Well, it looks like you have to prove them wrong, love," Emily responded. She smoothes Dani's hair, planting a kiss on her head and walks to the living room. Dani stays in the kitchen reflecting on what Emily told her. Would it be possible to prove to others that she is different from her father? Would her past actions always haunt her? It appears it would be an endless battle to prove that she is a better person. Dani is determined to never follow in her father's footsteps.

Emily was in the living room when she received a call from JJ.

"Hey, JJ," Emily answered the call.

"Hey, Em. How have you been?" Question the blonde agent.

"I'm doing pretty well. Just spending the afternoon with Dani."

"That's great Em," JJ replied. "Will and I were wondering if you guys wanted to join us for a cookout? Reid and Garcia will also be there."

"That sounds like fun. When will it be?"

"This Saturday in the afternoon. We want to have one last cookout before it starts to get cold."

"That sounds great. We will be there," Emily said.

"Awesome!" JJ exclaimed. "You should warn Dani though. Henry and Michael are dying to play soccer with her," JJ says with a chuckle.

"I will deliver the warning," Replied Emily with a smile.

"Okay. Bye Em."

"See you."

Emily hangs up and places her phone down.

"Who was it?" She hears Dani ask from the kitchen.

"Are you ready to get crushed by two kids in soccer this Saturday?"


	12. BBQ

**Hey guys! New chapter today. I plan on posting a new chapter this Saturday so remember to check it out. Any questions about the story so far? Leave them in the comment section and I will gladly answer them. Enjoy and be safe :)**

**Chapter 12**

Saturday arrives and Emily is accompanied by Dani. They arrive at JJ's house where they can see the barbeque smoke coming out from the backyard. Emily parks her car in the driveway. The two ladies get out of the SUV and start walking to the door.

"Mmmm. I could smell the food from here," Dani said sniffing the air. "I am totally going to crush this food," she said, rubbing her hands.

Emily chuckles. She knocks on the door and they wait. Will opens the door and greets them with a smile.

"Why hello ladies. I'm glad you guys made it," he says. "Come in. The rest are at the back," he says while gesturing to the guest to come in. Emily and Dani greet Will with a hug and then go inside the house. They get out through the back door and see Spencer and Garcia standing at the porch next to JJ, who is at the grill making sure the food won't burn. Henry and Michael are in the back part of the yard playing.

The tech analyst notices Emily arriving with Dani. She waves at them and smiles. "Hey, guys! We were waiting for you!" she said, receiving them with a hug. Spencer greets them with a smile as well as JJ.

"Hey, guys. Sorry to keep you all waiting," Emily said.

"It's alright," replied JJ. "The food will be ready in a few minutes."

"And plus, we always save the best for last," Garcia states. "It wouldn't be fun without Daring Dani and our Badass Brunette," she says with a wink. Emily and Dani chuckle.

"How is school, Dani?" Spencer asked.

"It's been going pretty well so far. My classes are pretty enjoyable." Dani replies.

"Any favorite subject?"

"Most definitely Guitar," Dani says with a smile. "English comes in at a close second."

"How about math?" Spencer asks with a brow raised.

"It would be if I were good at it. It's not my cup of tea."

"Well, whenever you need help I'm up to it," he says with a smile. "And I might give you some answers." He says with a wink.

Dani's eyes open wide. "And I don't have to bribe you? That was easy," she said with a smirk.

"Bribing won't be necessary. I do it for fun."

"Spencer, don't give bad ideas to the kid," said Emily with her arms crossed.

"It's not a bad idea. It's a blessing," Dani replied.

"Auntie Emily! Dani! Dani!" They hear running heading towards their direction. Henry and Michael are running towards them. Henry gives a hug to Emily while Dani bends down on one knee, receiving Michael's embrace.

"When did you guys arrive?" asked Henry.

"Just a few minutes ago," Emily replied, ruffling his hair.

"But how come we not see you come in?" Michael asked, looking confused.

"That's because we are ninjas," Dani responded with a wink.

"Wow. that's vewy cool," Michael said, eyes wide open.

The team smiles at Michael's amusement.

"Can we go play soccer, Dani?" Henry asked.

"Yes! Yes! Can we, can we?" pleaded Michael.

"Most definitely," Said Dani, getting up. "Race y'all to the yard." She starts running, Henry and Michael behind her trying to catch up. Henry grabs the soccer ball and they start to play.

Emily and the team watch as the kids play. Emily enjoys watching Dani have fun with JJ's kids. Henry and Michael enjoyed hanging out and playing with Dani. They always looked at Dani as a cool kid who would teach them new soccer tricks. They are like little cousins Dani never had. Emily enjoys the thought of Dani finally having a normal life with a family who cares for her.

"How is everything going with Dani? Any more social worker visits?" JJ asked, putting off Emily's train of thought.

"Yeah, we actually had one yesterday," Emily replied with a sigh.

"I imagine it didn't go so well," JJ said looking at Emily.

"Well, it did go well in the aspect of the whole check-in. It just bummed out Dani."

"How come?" Garcia asked worriedly.

"The social worker started to ask Dani if she was involved in her father's gang. She kept on insisting even after Dani said no," Emily replied.

"Why would she ask that? As far as we know, Dani's biological father was never present in her life." Spencer said, frowning.

"That's the thing I want to know too," Emily stated. "She is afraid that her father's actions will always reflect on her. She doesn't want to be labeled because she is related to someone who commits crime for a living."

"We all know she isn't like that," said Garcia. "She is a sweet teen who has been through so much. Even after everything she has gone through, she has shown how kind and loving she can be," she said with a big smile looking at Emily.

"I just hope Dani can see that."

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An hour passed and the team was hanging around, relaxing on the porch. Dani and the kids were still playing soccer in the yard. The weather was nice with a warm breeze that was very pleasant. JJ and Will were telling the team about their plans for the holidays.

"Isn't it a bit too early to start planning on winter vacations?" asked Garcia. "Like, I barely have planned out what I'm doing this weekend. I most definitely have nothing in mind for the holidays."

"You are right about that," said Will. "But with the kids and our families in different states, it's better to plan now than to panic later."

"Well you guys have roughly one hundred and fifteen days to have everything ready before the break," Reid said. "One hundred and sixteen if you include today."

"Trust me. We need all those days when it comes to visiting family or else there might be a clash between Pennsylvania and Louisiana." JJ says with a chuckle.

"I see that big families can be pretty chaotic," Emily says.

"It can be quite a hustle," JJ replied with a nod. "How about you? Have you talked to your mother?"

Emily lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Ha. I think it is easier to get in contact with the president himself. No, I think the last time I talked with her was when I told her about Dani."

"Wow. Are you serious?" asked Garcia. Emily responded with a nod.

"So she has never met Dani?" asked Will. "Does Dani know about your ma?"

"They have never met before," Emily said. "Dani does know about my mother. Well, what I've told her. All she really knows is Ambassador Prentiss."

Garcia wanted to ask Emily more questions but her thoughts stopped when she heard running steps approaching them. It was Dani, Henry, and Michael coming back from playing soccer.

"Mommy! Mommy! I lewnd how to be goalie today!" exclaimed Michael with excitement.

"That's great, honey," JJ replied with a smile. "Did you stop any goals?"

Michael nodded. "I stop all of them. Dani taught me a twick to do that."

"Awesome. You should be a soccer coach, Dan." JJ said looking at Dani.

"I will consider that," Dani said with a smile. "And with these two in my team, we would be invincible."


	13. I Know That Face

**Hello fellow humans! New chapter today! Thank you all for the positive feedback! It always brings a smile to my face knowing you all are enjoying the story. The next chapter will be on Tuesday so remember to check it out. Enjoy and stay safe ;)**

**Chapter 13**

It was around six in the afternoon and the team parted ways back home. Emily was driving while Dani texted her friends in the passenger seat. She was kind of tired from playing all afternoon. Kids can really drain battery out of someone, but she enjoyed spending time with JJ's kids.

"JJ is right. You should be a soccer coach," Emily said with a smile.

"I don't know. Never really played on a team before. How would I coach one?"

"Wait. So you never played on a team?" Emily asked. "Where did you learn how to play?" She was very curious for an answer. She has seen Dani's skills when it comes to soccer. Her skills are very good for a person who has never trained in a team.

"Foster parents didn't like us staying in extracurricular activities. It cost money. All of them would hoard the money to themselves." Dani replied with a frown. "I played soccer with my friends back in my hometown. We would spend hours outside kicking the ball and learning new tricks from each other. But my real teacher was my brother, Lucas. He was the one who introduced me to the sport."

"I'm glad he did," Emily responded kindly.

"Me too. It was a way of him keeping me out of the streets and as a form of distraction," Dani said. "I just play it as a hobby now." She looks out the window and remembers how her brother tried his best from keeping Dani out of all the bad stuff. He tried to take her outside anytime he could in order for Dani to not witness their mother drugging herself or witnessing her overdosing. She thinks of how much of a hassle it had to be dragging around a seven-year-old with nowhere else to go except outside in order to prevent seeing the madness inside their house. Her brother was her guardian angel who tried everything he could to protect her from evil. Then he died leaving Dani out to face cruel reality.

Emily noticed how quite Dani was and glanced at her, seeing Dani thinking with a rather sad expression. Emily knew the reason Dani was like this is because of her talking about her brother. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked while placing her hand on top of Dani.

Dani gets out of her cloud of thought. "Oh, yeah. I'm just a little tired."

The profiler looks at Dani. She could tell that Dani wasn't saying the truth but Emily didn't want to push her into talking. "Okay. If you need to talk about anything, I will always be here to listen," she said with an honest tone. She squeezes Danis hand lightly.

Dani responded with a nod. She knew the agent was being honest with her words. Dani knew Emily cared about her and she appreciated it. But she always had trust issues when it comes to a person. She has learned the hard way to never get too comfortable with someone because you never know their true intentions. She knows Emily is different. Emily has shown Dani nothing but care and affection. She has never given Dani a sign of her being untrustworthy. It's just that Dani hasn't fully trusted someone for a long time.

She receives a text from her friend's group chat. It's from Amelia. Dani reads the message.

_Am: Hey, Guys! My parents left for this last-minute business trip. I have the house all to myself. U know what that means ;)_

_James: Ohhh. that sounds like a bet! _

_Emma: Last-minute parties are the best 1s!_

_Am: I'm sending the invite to the rest of our grade. Just pull up!_

_Emma: U going, Dani?_

Dani looks up at her phone and looks at Emily who is on the wheel. Emily notices Dani who appears to have a question. "Oh no. I know that face." Emily said.

"Amelia is throwing a last-minute party at her place," Dani said. "I was wondering if I can go?"

"Ummm. I'm not sure. Will there be any adults supervising?"

"Not that I know of," Dani replied. "But we don't do anything bad. All we do is hang out and dance."

Emily thinks about it for a moment. She glances at Dani and lets out a sigh. "Fine. You can go."

"Yes!" Dani says, pumping her fist in celebration. "Thank You."

Emily chuckles. "But, you have to be back at home by eleven."

Dani opens her mouth in order to start protesting but closes it. "Fine," she replies in defeat.

Emily gives her a smirk. "Want me to drop you off?"

"Yes, please."

Dani responds to the group chat.

_Dani: Most definitely_

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Emily drives to Amelia's house. It's in a relatively wealthy town with big houses. Each house would have their yard nicely done with grass freshly cut and flowers planted nicely. Dani admired how each house would have luxury cars in each driveway. Cars she would only see on tv. Emily pulls up to Amelia's driveway. The house is a large brick house with three floors. It has a large driveway with nicely trimmed bushes. Amelia opens the front door and waves at Emily and Dani. Dani hops off the car and waves at Amelia.

"So, you will be back by eleven?" Emily asked.

"Si, si. Lo prometo," Dani replied.

"Alright. Take care and have fun," Emily told Dani with a smile.

"Will do," Dani replied. She closed the car door and walked up to the house entrance where Amelia was waiting for her. She greets Amelia with a hug and they head inside. Emily watches as the girls enter the house and she leaves.

Dani enters inside Amelia's home and looks around. The music was on and teens were dancing.

"So, all of this was last minute?" She asked.

"Yup. Parents left and well, why not enjoy this lovely place?" Amelia replies with her arms open. "I always have emergency party supplies for occasions like this."

Amelia and Dani walk inside the kitchen and see Emma and James sitting on the bar stools, talking. They both walk up to them.

"You're here!" Exclaimed Emma.

"Yup. Do you guys really think I would let your party without me?" Dani says with her brows raised.

The group chuckles. "Nope. Especially when the whole freshmen class came. This is crazy, Amelia!" James says, pointing at the large crowd of people dancing in the living room. "When the hell did you have time to hire a DJ?"

"I have my contacts," Amelia replies with a wink.

"I think you broke the world record for the fastest person to throw a party," Emma said. "I mean, you have music, food, drinks, and crazy lights here!"

"Talking about food and drinks," James says while standing up. "Do you ladies want to join me in getting some snacks?"

"Why, yes. We will," Emma replies. All of them stand up and walk to the snack table. It was filled with different kinds of chips and drinks. The group of friends grab a plate and a cup and serve themselves. They head back to the bar and start eating. Amelia goes to one of the kitchen cabinets and pulls out a beer bottle.

"Would any of you guys want one?" She asked. "No pressure."

"Nope. My parents would kill me," Emma says.

"No, thanks," James said. "I don't want to go to my weekend practice with a hangover."

How about you, Dan?" Amelia asked, pointing at the bottle.

"Not today, fam," Dani replies. "I only drink when I am sad and want to forget my problems, but that ain't tonight."

"Sounds good. More for me," Amelia says while opening the bottle. She takes a sip and then raises the bottle. "Cheers for an awesome night!"

"Cheers!"


	14. Long Night

**Hello! New chapter today! I know I promised this chapter to be posted yesterday but I was so busy running errands I completely lost track of time. (Also, Ever since this whole pandemic thing and stay at home orders, I have lost track of the days of the week) Sorry. As always I will post a new chapter on Thursday, which is tomorrow. Alright, that's enough talking. Enjoy and be safe :) **

**Chapter 14**

For the remainder of the night, Emily is at home finishing some paperwork. She is sitting down at her office with a coffee cup next to her. It is rather quiet inside the house, with no noise other than her pen writing on paper. Ever since Emily took in Dani, she has rarely heard her house this quiet. Dani would be at home watching TV, playing a video game, or playing her guitar. Emily enjoyed the teen's presence. With Dani living with her, Emily has felt complete fulfillment in her life. Before, Emily wouldn't have ever imagined herself taking care of a kid. She has always focused solely on her career. She never had the time or energy to create a family of her own. Over the course of the years, Emily noticed how lonely it can get when it came to staying home, with no one to talk to or spend time with. She felt very fortunate when it came to her meeting Dani, even if it wasn't in the best circumstances.

Emily finishes up her paperwork and puts it away. She stands up and heads towards the living room when she hears her phone ring. She looks at the caller ID expecting it to be Dani. Instead, she reads a caller ID name she hasn't seen for a while. _Mother_. Emily pauses for a moment and picks up.

"Hello, mother," Emily said with no type of emotion.

"Why hello dear," Elizabeth responds. "My, I would have thought you were going to greet me with a more amused tone."

"I wouldn't say amused. I would say surprised," the brunette said. "Is there anything that you need?"

"Can I not call my daughter and ask how she has been?"

"Not when the last time we talked was two years ago," Emily grumbled.

"You know very well that my job keeps me very busy, dear," Elizabeth said. "But, since it looks like you do not want me to go around the bush I will just tell you. In a few days, I will have a conference over in DC. I was wondering if I can go for a visit to your place and have dinner."

"I don't know," Emily said. "I might have a case that day."

"C'mon now, Dear. It will be time to catch up. I would also like to meet the foster child you took in."

"Her name is Dani, Mother," Emily said with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Why yes, Dani. So, can I come over for a visit?"

Emily pauses for a moment, thinking of what she should say. She eventually comes up with an answer. "Yes, you may come. I will send you the address once you have arrived in DC."

"Sounds good my dear. Goodnight,"

"Night," Emily replies and she hangs up. Emily didn't know the exact reason why she said yes to her mother. They never had the best mother and daughter relationship in the world. Elizabeth was never a motherly person towards Emily. She would focus her entire attention to her work and politics. Emily had grown used to it. She just hopes to get over with this dinner without clashing against her mother in front of Dani.

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It's around ten in the night and Dani is enjoying the party with her friends. They had spent most of the night dancing and laughing with each other. Amelia would point out any cute boy that would get in her way and would start flirting.

Dani was sitting with Emma and James at a couch in the living room, watching Amelia flirting with a guy.

"Sheesh. That girl is always hunting for her next meal," Emma said with a chuckle. "I don't think I could ever just go up and instantly flirt with a guy."

"I do admire her level of self-confidence," Dani said with a nod.

"I think half of that confidence is from her fourth beer she had," Emma murmured.

Amelia is done talking to the guy and she walks up to the group of friends.

"Damn, girl!" James said. "You really take full advantage when it comes to a party."

"What can I say. I love the adrenaline," Amelia says with a drunken smile.

"Why weren't we invited to the party!" a group of people yelled, entering the house. It was the "Chaotics". The group of eight kids storms inside the house, looking rather angry. In front of the group stood a guy and a girl who looked like they were the leaders of this group. The guy was tall, rather buff, and had tall, black hair. The girl was around 5,4. Pale skin, and mid-length blonde hair. The DJ stopped the music abruptly due to the commotion.

Amelia stood up, followed by Emma, James, and Dani. They were all worried about how she was going to react in a situation like this. Amelia was always the wild friend of the group. With a couple of beers in her system, she was unpredictable. Amelia stands in front of the group, looking at them. "I didn't invite you guys because I don't want any trouble in my house. You guys have to leave."

The girl steps up so she is only a few inches away from Amelia. She crosses her arms and gives her a demeaning look. "Oh, yeah? What are you going to do if we don't?"

"I will make you," Amelia responded. The girl shoves Amelia, causing her to stumble. Emma quickly grabs a hold of her so she doesn't fall. The girl gives her an evil smirk. Dani, having enough of this situation, steps up in front of the girl. Both arms crossed.

"That's enough," she says in a stern voice. "No invite, no party. None of you are welcomed here. If you do anything like that again, this won't end well for you."

"You think you can tell me what to do?" The girl says with an attitude. She throws a punch at Dani, aiming for her face. Dani quickly dodges the punch and grabs the girl's arm, twisting it halfway. The girl shrieks in pain.

"I don't _think_ I am telling you what to do. I am." Dani says, still holding the girl's arm. "Did I make myself clear?"

The girl nods and Dani lets go. The girl backs up to the rest of the group, holding her arm.

"Don't worry. I didn't sprain, dislocate, or break anything," Dani said looking at the girl. "But I won't make any promises for next time," she says in an authoritative tone.

"Amanda, let's go," said the tall guy in a rather annoyed tone.

"Shut up Max!" Amanda exclaimed. She looks at Dani. "This is not the end, you hear me? I will show you what you just got yourself into!" she says in an angry tone.

"So will I," Dani replied.

The girl and the rest of the chaotics walk out of the house. Everyone in the party looked at Dani in an astonished manner. Dani just looks back to see Amelia. "Are you okay?" Dani asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you for what you did there." Amelia said with a thankful smile.

"It's no problem."

"Damn, Dani! That was so cool!" James exclaimed. "I should start taking boxing lessons with you."

"You were a total badass out there, Dan," Ema said, nudging Dani's shoulder.

Dani chuckles. "Thank you. But, can we just get back to partying?"

"Definitely!" Amelia said. "Hey DJ, turn the music back up!"


	15. Interesting Events

**Hola! New chapter today! I will be uploading the next chapter on Tuesday so remember to come back and check it out. I hope all of you guys are safe and healthy. Remember, things can look pretty dark but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Enjoy and stay safe :)**

**Chapter 15**

Dani arrives back home, dropped off by Amelia's chauffeur. It was five minutes till eleven. _Perfect timing_, she thought to herself. It was a long night and she was tired. She had fun, for the most part, dancing with her friends and hanging around with them. Her favorite part was watching Amelia flirt in a drunken state. She had to admit, she really wanted to have a beer or two. The only reason why she declined the offer was that Dani knew Emily would kill her if she went back home drunk. Dani didn't want Emily to take out her cop's side and start interrogating her.

Dani knew two sides of Emily's personality. One side was her human side, a loving and caring person. Fun to hang around with her sarcasm and sense of humor. The other side was Agent Prentiss. Authoritative and strict. A serious person that one should not mess with.

The teen preferred her human side.

She heads up to the building's entrance and goes inside. Dani reaches the unit's door and unlocks it. She steps inside and takes off her shoes, placing them in the shoe rack. Dani heads up to the kitchen in order to get a glass of water.

"You're here," Emily says, walking inside the kitchen.

Dani jumps up, startled. "My God, you scared me."

"Sorry, Dan," Emily said. "How was the party?"

"It was...eventful," Dani replied, taking a sip of water.

"Eventful?" the agent questioned with a brow raised. "What happened?"

"Ummm. Stuff, a lot of stuff happened. You had to be there in order to understand what happened."

"Okay," Emily said with a nod. "But you had fun, right?"

"Most definitely," said Dani with a smile. "How about you? Any interesting events while I was out?"

"Well, I did receive an unexpected call today."

"From who?" Dani asked with curiosity.

"From my mother."

"Your mother?" said Dani with her brows raised. "Well, that's something."

"Yup. She called me today and told me she was going to arrive here in DC in a few days," Emily said. "She wants to come over and have dinner together. She wants to meet you."

"Right," Dani said looking confused. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"What do you mean?" asked the brunette.

"I mean, you hardly ever talk about her," Dani said looking at Emily. "I'm not sure what to expect."

"I will be real honest with you, I also don't know what to expect," Emily said, shaking her head. "That woman is unpredictable."

"Now I know where you got that from," Dani said with a grin.

Emily nudges Dani's shoulder. "Hey."

Dani chuckles. "Well, I should go to sleep. Partying can be a very tiring job," she says while stretching.

"I bet it is. It is probably the most difficult job out there," Emily says sarcastically.

"I take my job very seriously, agent," says Dani. "Alright. I'm going to bed. Buenas Noches." Dani walks up to Emily and gives her a hug. Emily returns the hug happily.

"Buenas Noches."

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It's a Wednesday afternoon and Dani is in her final class for the day. She is sitting at the back of the class next to Emma, paying attention to the lecture.

"Dani, can you tell me what does Comment Vous Appelez-Vous mean?" asked the teacher.

"I think it means What's your name?" Dani answered.

"Oui!" the teacher said, clapping her hands. "Good job, Daniela."

_Ding_

The bell rings for dismissal and the students pack up their things and leave. Dani and Emma grab their book bags from their locker when they notice the group of chaotics looking at them from the end of the hallway, anger expressed on their face. Dani closes her locker, looking back at them. Emma just grabs her shoulder and guides her out of the building. They start walking back home.

"God, I thought they would get over it by now," Emma said.

"Well I didn't," said Dani. "I'm surprised they haven't jumped me or something."

"Jump you?" Emma said with a brow raised. "They won't be dumb enough to do that. They are scared of you, Dan," she said with a chuckle.

"You are right about that," Dani said with a smirk.

"Do you wanna go get some food today?" Emma asked.

"Sorry, I can't go today. Do you want to go tomorrow, though?"

"How come you can't come today?" Emma asked, looking at her. "Do you have a date?"

"Nope. I do have dinner tonight. Emily's mom is coming over."

"Her mom?" Dani asked. "I don't think I've ever heard you mention her before."

"That's because Emily never mentions her," Dani said. "I don't even know what the lady looks like."

"Wow. So this will be your first time meeting her. That's something."

"Yup. I just hope things run smoothly," Dani said, arriving at her place.

"Good luck my friend. Tell me how things went," Emma said. They hug and part ways.

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A few hours pass and Emily is getting ready for her mother's arrival. She made sure every area of the house is very clean and spotless. She was cooking dinner while Dani was preparing the table. Emily didn't want to go too far with the cooking, afraid she might screw up, so she settled in making lasagna. She felt pretty overwhelmed with her mother's arrival, knowing that she can be very meticulous about everything. She didn't really care when it came to her mother's personal opinion. She just didn't want to look bad in front of Dani.

"Dani, have you seen the nice plates and silverware we have?" asked Emily.

"Aren't those the ones next to you?" replied the teen. Emily looks to her left and sees the plates that she was looking for.

"Oh, thank you," she said in a tired tone.

"Sheesh, Em. Ever since I got here, you were all over the place getting everything ready," said the teen walking towards Emily. "I'm starting to think that the royal family will be having dinner with us."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that my mother can be very special when it comes to things."

_Knock Knock_

"Speaking of the devil," Emily murmured. "Honey, I will go get the door. Why don't you finish up setting the table?"

"Yes, mam." The teen replied. "Good luck," she said with a wink and went on to go finish setting up the table.

"Thank you, dear. I will need all of it," Emily said as she walked up the door. She pauses, takes a deep breath, and opens the door. She sees a tall, slim, pale skin woman. Mid-length raven hair with grey hairstreaks. She is wearing a black dress with heels. It was indeed her mother. "Hello, mother," Emily said with a small smile.

"Emily, dear. Time has passed, hasn't it?" Elizabeth replies. She gives Emily a small hug and enters. She takes off her coat and Emily hangs it up at the coat rack. Emily guides Elizabeth to the living room, where Dani is sitting. Dani stands up and walks towards both ladies.

"Mother, this is Dani. Dani, this is my mother," Emily said.

"Hola, muchacha," Elizabeth says with a broken spanish accent. "It's…bueno to meet you," she says, butchering her words.

Emily and Dani look at the Ambassador confused in the sudden change of language. "Hola, Ambassador Prentiss. It's nice to meet you too," Dani said, stretching her hand.

Elizabeth gives Dani a surprised look and then shakes her hand. "Oh, my. I didn't know you speak English, Dear. Please forgive my butchered Spanish," she says with a smile.

Emily looks at Elizabeth, confusion on her face. "Why wouldn't she know-"

"That's alright," Dani said with a smile, interrupting what the agent was going to say. She didn't want Emily discussing with her mother, especially if she just arrived. She just hopes everything runs well for the rest of the night.


	16. Dinner Is Ready

**Hello! Happy Tuesday! I hope all of you are all doing****well. New chapter today as always. Almost to twenty chapters! The next chapter will be posted this Thursday so don't forget it. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 16**

Emily is in the kitchen in order to finish preparing dinner while Dani and Elizabeth are in the living room talking.

"So, dear. How have you been settling here in DC?" asked Elizabeth.

"I've adjusted pretty well," replied Dani. "I grew up near DC so it wasn't hard to adjust."

"But you have never been in this part of the city. You were located in the more… developing areas."

"That is true," Dani said politely. "But, whenever I would have the chance I explored areas around here."

"That sounds reasonable," Elizabeth said. "After all, you did live in a rather bad area. I mean, the poverty and violence in those areas. How did you ever manage?"

"Adapt and overcome, I suppose," replied the teen, sounding rather uncomfortable.

"Due to the circumstances you would live in, I suppose it makes you struggle academically."

"Not really. According to test scores, I have the same academic level as the rest of my peers."

"That's impressive with your type," Elizabeth said with a nod.

"My type?" questioned Dani with a brow raised.

"I mean, statistically foster kids have a tendency of having lower academic scores than the rest of their counterparts," the Ambassador states. "Especially with your Hispanic ethnicity."

Dani looks at her and nods. "I guess I am an outlier of those statistics," she said, forcing a smile. She has dealt with these types of people before. Normally by now, she would have told off that prejudiced person. But this was Emily's mother. She couldn't do that. Dani just swallows her pride for Emily's sake.

"Dinner is ready," Emily called out from the kitchen. Dani felt relieved when she heard Emily say that. At least she wouldn't have to continue talking with Elizabeth. Dani and Elizabeth walked inside the dining room where Emily served the plates. Emily and Dani sit next to each other while Elizabeth sits right across from them. They all begin eating.

"Emily, dear. Are you dating anyone lately?" the Ambassador asked while cutting her lasagna.

Dani glances at Emily wondering what her response would be. Ever since Dani met Emily, she hardly ever saw her going out with someone. Yes, she did date one or two people but neither winded up on a serious note. The teen knew that the reason the agent hardly went out with a man was not that no one was interested in her. The agent has her standards at a high bar which automatically debunks a large majority of possible candidates. It looked like Emily had her priorities straight, with Dani and her work set first. Dating wasn't very high on the list. When Dani asked her how come she wasn't in a relationship, the agent's excuse would be to work. Dani believed she would use the same excuse for her mother.

"No, I haven't been dating anyone," the agent replied. "My work schedule keeps me very busy. You out of all people should know that, mother."

Dani let out a small smirk knowing she was right.

"Why yes, I do know," said the Ambassador with a nod. "But you must take out time and start your personal life. To build a family of your own."

"I am perfectly fine with the family I have now," said Emily, placing a hand over Dani's shoulder. Dani takes a drink out of her cup, trying to calm down her nerves with this conversation.

"Dani is a foster child, dear. They only remain for a temporary amount of time," said Elizabeth looking at Emily. "Did your social worker tell you how long you were going to stay Dani?"

Dani looks up and clears her throat. "It all depends on the system believing this is a good place to stay," Dani replies. "It also depends on the foster parent."

"By me, Dani can stay here all she wants for as long as she wants," Emily said with confidence. "This is her home as it is mine."

"Wouldn't your parents want your custody back?" the Ambassador asked with a brow raised.

Dani shakes her head. "That won't be possible. Both of my parents are gone."

"Why? Did they get deported?"

Emily and Dani frown in confusion. They both wondered why Elizabeth jumped into that conclusion.

"No, mother. Her parents were not deported. Where did you get that idea from?" asked Emily with annoyance and confusion.

"I just assumed," said Elizabeth defensively. "Seriously Emily. You should find a partner and have kids of your own so you can love them fully. I mean, you are taking care of Dani but she isn't your legitimate child."

Emily feels like she just got punched in the stomach with her mother's words. Dani just bites her lip feeling extremely awkward. Luckily her phone rings, saving her from all this tension. She clears her throat. "Excuse me," said Dani politely. "I have to take this call," she stands up, pushes her chair in, and leaves, heading towards her room.

Emily watches as Dani leaves and looks straight at her mother. "Can you tell me what the hell has gotten into you?" She says in a low, angry tone.

"What do you mean?" Asked her mother.

"Why are you treating Dani so unfairly? What did she do to you?" Emily said while crossing her arms against her chest.

"I am not treating her unfairly," the ambassador responded with an offended look.

"Oh yeah? Because it looks like you take any opportunity you have in order to demean her," the agent says, raising her voice. "And don't get me started with your racial comments."

"You are overreacting, Emily," said Elizabeth. "All I said that you should start creating a family of your own. How is that bad?"

"It is bad when you are degrading Dani. Whether you like or not, Dani is my family. She is my daughter," Emily said sternly. "Even if she doesn't have my blood does not mean she isn't my daughter. Since the moment I met her, I gave her everything she needed because I love her. She is a part of me and I wouldn't want it any other way," Emily pauses and takes a breath. "If your closed-minded brain won't allow you to accept this, I think the best thing is for you to go."

Elizabeth looks at Emily and nods. "I do believe I should get going," she says, standing up. "But the reason I am leaving is in order for the waters to calm down. It was never my intention to offend you or Daniela."

"I hope you change your mind, mother," Emily said. She stands up and leads her mother out the door. Before Emily closes the door, Elizabeth stops her and says "I hope we can have dinner with better amends."

"I hope so too," Emily replied and closed the door.

Emily walks to the living room and sits on the couch. She hears Dani talking to someone on the phone in her room. Part of Emily wanted to go and check on the teen, but another part of her felt too embarrassed to face her. She didn't want Dani to think that she had the same ideologies her mother has. She just hoped that this dinner didn't change the way Dani viewed her.

Emily just takes a deep breath and rubs her face. She has mixed emotions of tiredness and frustration. Emily questioned herself why she accepted in having this dinner to begin with. Each time she would talk to her mother they would always end in an argument. They were both really stubborn and refused to back down during an argument. Why did she think this time was going to end differently?

She hears footsteps descending the stairs. She turns around and sees Dani standing on the last step looking around. Dani sees Emily sitting on the couch and approaches her with a small smile.

"I guess dessert plans are canceled, huh?"


	17. Dessert

**Hey guys! New chapter today! It's an overall short and smooth chapter. Almost to 20 chapters! The next chapter will be posted on... Saturday (The Day before my birthday!) Alright, Enjoy and stay safe.**

**Chapter 17**

"_I guess dessert plans are canceled, huh?"_

Emily looks at Dani and gives her a small smile. "I wouldn't say cancel. Just a change of guest numbers."

Dani nods. "In that case, I will go get the cake," she walks inside the kitchen and opens the fridge. "I make no promises for leftovers if you don't join me now," she told Emily from the kitchen.

Emily chuckles and stands up. She walks inside the kitchen and sees Dani grabbing two plates from the cabinet. She takes out the cake from the fridge and places it on top of the kitchen counter. Emily grabs the kitchen knife and cuts two slices of chocolate cake. She hands Dani a plate and they both sit down at the table. They start eating.

Dani is eating her cake when Emily starts up a conversation. "Dan, I am really sorry about the events that happened tonight. I never thought my mother could be so… ignorant."

Dani looks up at Emily, meeting her eyes. "Hey, it's all good," she said while smiling.

"If I would have known that she was going to act like this, I wouldn't have invited her over," Emily said, sorry in the agent's eyes.

"It's not your fault. Em."

"It's just that I never wanted you to feel uncomfortable here." Emily pauses and takes a breath. "I want you to feel proud of who you are and where you come from. Never embarrassed or ashamed."

"I will admit that I did feel quite awkward," said the teen. "But this isn't the first time I felt that way because of where I'm from. I have been called worse from other places," Dani said with a small smile. Emily just looks down at the table.

"Hey," Dani said, placing her hands on top of the table. "I heard what you told your mom when I left to go answer my phone."

"You heard?" Emily asked. Dani nodded. "I guess I didn't keep my volume down as well as I thought I had." she murmured.

"Nope, not really," replied the teen. "I heard what you said about me. About you considering me part of your family," she says with a small smile. "Those words mean one hundred times more to me than what your mother said."

Emily smiles and places her hands on top of Dani's. "I meant every word I said, Dan."

"I know. Thank you. Without you, I don't know where I would be."

"Don't think about it, Dani," the agent said with a reassuring tone, squeezing Dani's hands.

"I know," Dani said. "But sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I never met you. I was already going in the wrong path. I would have probably ended up like one of my family members," she said with a slightly sad tone.

"Dani, look at me," the agent said while holding Dani's hands. Dani looks up and meets her eyes. "The important thing is that you are here and that I love you no matter what."

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Emily is inside her office reviewing case files. It's around eleven in the morning and she has been reviewing files for a few hours. She loved her position of Unit Chief of the BAU. She has worked hard to obtain this desired position without using her influence of being the daughter of Ambassador Prentiss. From proving to be a worthy member of the team to former Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner, to being a very dedicated and determined person in her job, earning herself the respective title. This title would take a toll on her from time to time. She was the front of the line of the team. Everything has to go through her. This means more work and responsibilities, which would stress her out. It never got out of control though, she was a person who loved overcoming challenges.

Emily hears someone knocking on her door. "Come in," said the agent.

Tara walks inside the Chief's office with a mug on one hand, "Hey, I thought you could use this," she said, pointing at the mug.

"Thank you," Emily said with a smile. "Have a seat," she tells her, gesturing her hand at the chair in front of her desk.

Tara sits down and hands over the mug to Emily, "How was dinner yesterday?"

Emily lets out a loud sigh. "It didn't end in the best terms."

"I see," Tara said with a nod. "There was a clash of Prentiss's I suppose."

Emily nodded and took a drink of her tea.

"What exactly happened that ended dinner early?" Tara asked, curious for an answer.

"My mother was acting like a total jerk towards Dani," the agent replied, placing her mug down.

"How exactly?"

"She was making rather prejudiced comments against Dani," Emily said. "But what ticked me off the most is when she said that Dani isn't my legitimate child. That I should start building my own family because Dani is just a temporary child."

Tara nods slowly, comprehending what Emily told her. "Knowing you, I highly doubt you let that slide."

"I didn't. I was not about to let Dani feel uncomfortable inside her own house," said the agent.

"I'm sorry dinner didn't go as planned," said Tara. "But I am glad you stood up for Dani," she said with a smile.

"I would face anyone when it comes to defending Dani," Emily said. "She has stood up and faced the world alone for too long. It's about time she has someone to face the world with."


	18. The Hell Did You Just Say?

**Hello fellow humans! New chapter today as promised. An interesting chapter if I say so my self. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday so remember to be on the lookout. As always, enjoy and be safe.**

**Chapter 18**

A few weeks pass by smoothly. Dani is in Algebra class with Emma, Amelia, and James. The teacher, Mr. Gainer, was explaining different methods to use when it comes to finding the slope of an equation. He was explaining this in a slow, monotone voice which led half the class to sleep. Emma and Amelia had their heads down, taking a nap. James was on his phone while Dani was trying to pay attention to the lesson. She never liked math but needed the class to pass. She just never understood the point of learning so many equations that she was never going to use in the future.

"Are you paying attention to the lesson, Dan?" James asked while taping her shoulder.

"I'm trying to," Dani replied. "But half of the stuff that the teacher says doesn't stick to my brain."

James chuckles. "At least you get half. I have retained zero information about this," he says while pointing at his worksheet. "And the girls most definitely are on the same page as me."

The teacher walks around checking if the students are doing their work. He is near Dani and her table so Dani shoves Emma and Amelia, waking them up.

"What happened," Emma said, rubbing her eyes.

"Teacher is coming," Dani replied. Mr. Gainer arrives at their desk looking at their work.

"How come you haven't started Ms. Emma?" he asked.

"I uh… Don't have a pencil," she replied. She looks at Dani with a smile. "Do you have a pencil I can borrow, Dani?"

"Why yes I do," Dani replied. She opens her folder and takes out a mechanical pencil, handing it to Emma.

"I hope you all finish your work before the end of class," said the teacher. "You guys have 5 minutes before we leave."

"On it, sir," Emma said. The four friends do their work and finish roughly a minute before the bell rang. The teacher was at the entrance collecting students' work as they left. Dani and her friends hand over their work and leave the class, heading towards the cafeteria.

"I'm glad class ended," Amelia said. "I am starving."

"Me too. Sleeping can make a person very hungry," said Emma.

They are walking in the middle of the hallway when out of nowhere someone throws a water bottle at the group of friends, hitting Amelia on her shoulder. They turn around and see Amanda and Max laughing.

"What's the big idea?" Asked Amelia while rubbing her shoulder. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," replied Amanda, giving her a fake, clueless face.

"You know exactly what you did," said James, arms crossed across his chest.

"Don't talk to my girl like that," Max said, stepping forward.

"You can't tell me what to do," James said in a slightly higher volume. "You don't scare me for crap. You don't have your monkeys here with you to defend you."

Dani rolls her eyes, annoyed. "C'mon guys let's go. They aren't worth our time." The three friends look at her and nod in agreement. They turn around in direction to the cafeteria when Amanda says something to them.

"Dani, Dani. Always running away from your problems. Is that why your brother died?" She had searched up Dani days before. She came across a news article written years back about the death of her brother.

Dani pauses. She bit her lip and turned around. "What the hell did you just say?" She asked in a low, angry tone.

"The day your brother Lucas died. You probably ran away instead of helping," Amanda said, staring at Dani. She knew she would get a reaction from her if she said this.

Dani frowns and walks closer to Amanda. "You keep his name out of your filthy mouth," she stated, biting her words. Emma walks towards Dani and places her hand on Dani's shoulder.

"Dan, let's just go. All she wants is trouble," Emma said, hoping her words would calm Dani.

"How does it feel being the reason why your brother is dead?" Amanda said, walking closer to Dani.

"If you don't shut the fuck up, I will make you," Dani said in an intimidating tone.

"I mean, let's all be honest here," Amanda said, stretching her arms. "He probably deserved it." She said with a smirk.

Those final words were Dani's last straw. Dani dropped her folder and looked straight at Amanda. She clenched her jaw and threw a punch at Amanda's face, which made her stumble back. Out of nowhere, another girl came out from behind the lockers and swung a punch, aiming at Dani's jaw. Dani steps back and looks at the girl, recognizing her as one of Amanda's minions. The girl takes another swing but Dani dodges it. Amanda kicks away Dani's folder and lunges at Dani. Amanda manages to scratch Dani's face, but Dani throws a punch right at her stomach, causing Amanda to fall.

When this commotion was happening, Max took out a small bag the size of his palm and slid it inside Dani's folder, which was on the floor. James steps in and grabs a hold of Dani, stopping her. Max goes next to Amanda who was on the floor. A group of students gathered around the comotion, recording everything that was happening. They hear security running in the hallway, yelling at them. Security arrives and quickly takes all three girls to the office.

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Emily was in the lounge, eating lunch with Penelope and JJ. They all agreed on ordering Italian so they were all enjoying their lunch. They were in the middle of a conversation when Emily's phone rang. She stood up and answered the phone thinking it was about a new case.

"This is Unit Chief Prentiss speaking," she answered.

"Hello, Ms. Prentiss. I am Principal Farmer from your daughter's school," said the man from the other side of the phone.

"Principal Farmer? Is everything okay?" asked the brunette in a worried tone. She wonders why the principal of Dani's school is calling her.

"Ms. Prentiss, I have to inform you that Daniela was involved in a fight that took place today. She won't be released until you pick her up."

"What?" Emily said, shocked with what she was just informed. She couldn't believe what she was told. Dani was not the type of person involved in violent incidents in school. It had to be some sort of misunderstanding. Penelope and JJ look up and wonder what was going on in the phone conversation.

"Yes, Ms. Prentiss. Daniela is here with me in the office," answered the principal.

Emily lets out a frustrated sigh. "I will be there in ten minutes," she said.

"Very well. See you then," said the principal. Emily hung up her phone and turned around, shaking her head. She sees that Penelope and JJ are both looking at her, curious about what happened.

"What was the call about?" asked JJ.

"It was from Dani's school," the agent pauses and takes a breath. "Dani got into a fight."


	19. Whichever Definition You Prefer

**Hey, guys! New chapter today! Almost to twenty chapters in this story. The next chapter will be posted this Thursday. I plan on changing my uploading schedule but I will tell you all about the changes when I post chapter 20. As always, enjoy and be safe.**

**Chapter 19**

Dani is sitting on a chair in the Principal's Farmer's office. She is sitting down, looking on the floor. Her face was stinging with the scratch that Amanda gave her. She was the last student remaining from the fight. Amanda and the other girl were picked up earlier after giving their statement of what happened. She wasn't sure what they could have told the principal but she was sure they didn't tell him the truth. It was two against one. All odds are against her.

Dani hears a knock on the door and the principal opens it. She sees Emily at the entrance having a worried look. Emily meets Dani's gaze and changes her expression from worry to anger. She frowns. She gives Dani an angry look, a look that the teen was not used to. A look that made Dani feel nervous which was rarely the case. Emily walks into the room and takes a seat next to Dani. They both are sitting across from the Principal. Dani can feel Emily staring at her so she focuses her gaze on the floor.

"Ms. Prentiss, as you know already the reason we are all here today is that Daniela was involved in a violent altercation with two other students," said Principal Farmer, looking at Emily.

Emily nods and looks at Dani, who has her head down. "So, what happened?" questioned the agent.

"A fight or a violent altercation. Whichever definition you prefer," Dani answered. Looking at the floor. She still felt the agent staring at her but she refused to look up to her.

Emily frowns at the teen's response. "So you just decided to get in a fight or something?" she asked in an angry tone.

Dani doesn't respond. She just lets out a frustrated sigh and crosses her arms across her chest. Emily was not used to in receiving this attitude from Dani. For the majority of the time, Dani would be kind and respectful. Yes, from time to time they would get into small arguments but for the most part, the teen will be quite reserved.

The principal clears his throat and begins to speak. "I've spoken to the other two students involved in this incident. They said the reason this happened is that one of them discovered that Daniela had possession of drugs."

Emily looks at the principal with a frown of confusion. Dani lets out a sarcastic chuckle and shakes her head. She couldn't believe the story those two made up.

The principal takes out something from inside his desk and places it in front of Emily and Dani. It was a small bag with white pill capsules. "This was found inside Daniela's folder," stated the principal. "Do you know what this is?" He asked, looking at Dani.

Dani looks up at the bag and instantly recognizes what it is. "I'm almost certain it's Molly."

"So it's yours?" The principal asked with a brow raised.

"Just because I know what it is, does not mean its mine," she said while leaning against her chair.

"Ms. Prentiss. As you might know, Dani has a rather long history with violence and illicit drugs," he says while taking out a file folder. He opens the folder and begins to read a list he had. "Three counts of assault and four counts of illegal possession of marijuana. Due to her past history and her actions that landed a student at the nurse's office today, I have decided to suspend Dani for a week."

"You made a student land in the nurse, Daniela?" Emily said in a shocked manner while looking at the teen.

Dani quickly glances at Emily and looks back at the floor. "I didn't try. If I actually wanted to hurt her she would have ended up way worse," she mumbled.

Emily shakes her head in disbelief. She hardly recognized who the teen was at the moment. She looks at the principal and nods. "I understand. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Anything else you want to say before you leave Ms. Hernandez?" asked the principal.

"No. All the cards play against me so there is no point," she said. She stood up from her chair and headed towards the door. She walks out with Emily right behind her. Emily unlocks the car and they both get inside. Emily starts the car and drives. No one made one sound during the whole drive.

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They arrive at the apartment. Emily unlocks the door and they enter. Dani takes off her shoes and heads out towards her room but is stopped when Emily places her hand on Dani's shoulder, having a firm grip on her.

"Daniela Sofia Hernandez," she said. "You know very well you can't walk away from me before explaining to me what happened," she said in a firm tone.

Dani turns around and rolls her eyes. "What exactly do you want to know, agent?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

"Why did you get in a fight?" asked the agent, looking at Dani with a frown.

"Because she was talking crap," replied the teen. "And I don't know where the hell the other girl came from."

"So you just beat someone up because they were talking bad about you?" asked the brunette with a confused look. "That's it?"

"Yep. That's the reason. Can I go now?" Dani said in an agitated tone.

"We are not done, Daniela," Emily said sternly. "What about the drugs? Where did you get them from?"

Dani lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Wait, you actually think those pills are mine?"

"They were in your folder, Daniela," Emily said, pointing at Dani. "And you knew exactly what those pills were."

"What else do you expect when I have been living my whole life in a crack house!" Dani exclaimed. "In case you forgot, I've grown up around synthetic drugs, Emily. I know what they look like!"

"No, I haven't forgotten," Emily said. "That is one of the reasons why I took you in. So you wouldn't live that life anymore."

"Then why the hell are you questioning me?" Dani asked, looking at Emily. Tension grew on both sides. A mixture of feelings between anger and upset were both present in Dani and in Emily.

"Because those things were in your folder!" Emily said. "I thought after everything you have been through you would want to prove yourself better. Instead, you choose to go on a path that will wind you up to become an addict like your mother? Did you not see how that ended for her?" Emily said, sounding rather upset.

She looks at Dani, hurt written on the girl's face. Emily said those words without thinking. She instantly regretted what she told the teen, knowing those words carry a heavy weight. "Dani, I... I didn't mean to say that," Emily said, walking up closer to Dani. She tries to grab Dani's hand but Dani instantly flinches and backs away.

"No, you are right," Dani said, giving Emily a cold look. She couldn't believe what came out of Emily's mouth. "Me seeing my mother suffering for years because of drugs and me seeing her die in front of me didn't teach me anything," Dani pauses, feeling a lump in her throat. She felt like her chest was on fire but refused to shed a tear. "Because I am stupid enough to repeat those mistakes."

"Dani, I didn't mean it like-"

"But you sure as hell said it," Dani said, cutting Emily off. "You know agent, for a person who studies the behavior of people, you didn't do a good job with me," She turns around and goes straight to her room, slamming the door shut. Emily was left behind, hurt and confused.


	20. It Doesn't Matter

**Hey guys! We made it to chapter 20! Woo-hoo! I really hope you all have been enjoying this story so far. I appreciate all the support so far. You guys are amazing. **

**As mentioned in the previous chapter, I will be changing my uploading schedule for this story. Since the start of the story, I have been uploading every Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have decided that from now on I will upload once a week. This will help me have more time to continue writing the story. I want to improve the quality of my story and this change will definitely help. From now on, I will upload every ****Tuesday! ****Do not forget to follow me and this story in order to receive notifications when a new chapter is posted.**

**Thank you all for the support. Enjoy and be safe :)**

**Chapter 20**

It was around seven in the afternoon. Emily was in the kitchen cooking dinner while Dani was upstairs in her room. She hasn't left her room since the argument. Emily wanted the situation to calm down so she decided to talk to Dani until dinner. She finished cooking, so she turned off the stove and washed her hands. Emily headed upstairs to Dani's room. She knocked on the door and not surprisingly, Dani didn't answer. Emily took a deep breath and opened the door, preparing herself mentally for another discussion. She went inside and saw Dani on top of her bed with her laptop.

"Hey, I wanted to tell you that dinner is ready," Emily said while leaning against the wall.

Dani looks up from her screen. "I'm not hungry. You can eat without me," she said and kept on typing.

Emily walks towards Dani, sitting on the side of her bed. "Dan, we need to talk."

"Can we not do this now," Dani said, closing her laptop.

"'Dani, I just want to know the truth. I can help you if-" she is interrupted by her phone buzzing. She quickly pulls out her phone and reads a message sent by Garcia. They have a new case in Pennsylvania. Emily sighs and places her phone down.

"New case?" Dani asked with a brow raised.

"Yes. we have to head out to Pennsylvania," Emily replied. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is our conversation about what happened at school and about what I said earlier."

Dani stands up and places her laptop on top of her desk. "It doesn't matter. You have a case that you have to go to," the teen wanted to avoid Emily as much as she could. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Emily's words did get to her. She has heard the phrase _sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me _many times before but the agent's words felt like a knife stabbing through her chest. She walks to her closet and takes out a towel. "Ima take a shower. Anything you want to tell me before you leave?"

Emily looks at Dani and sighs. She knows the teen wants to avoid talking with her. Emily wanted to know what happened at school in order to clear things up but she didn't want to push the teen into talking. The agent hoped that once she came back from the case, Dani would open and tell her what happened.

Emily stands up and walks up to Dani. "Since you are suspended it means that you are grounded. No going out or anything of that sort," Emily said looking at Dani. Dani gives her a small nod. "As always, I will be in touch with you to see that everything is okay."

"Alright, I will get going," Dani said, walking out of her room.

"Dani, don't forget that I love you no matter what," said Emily with an honest tone.

Dani turns around and looks at Emily. "Good luck, agent," she says in a low volume. She leaves and heads in the bathroom.

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The BAU team is in the Jet. They are all gathered around Emily's phone, listening to Garcia explaining the case.

"All five victims are around the same age. A range from twenty to twenty-five. They all have different jobs and family structures though. I tried to see if they knew each other but nothing popped up," Garcia said.

"Well, we can see that our unsub chooses both male and female victims, so he doesn't choose his victims based on gender," Rossi said while looking at his tablet. "He doesn't have any racial preference either."

"Well, he does have the same M.O for all five victims. Blunt force trauma to the head and then decapitates the victim's arms and legs," stated Reid. "I just wonder if he decapitated them before or after post mortem,"

"Alright, Tara, JJ, and Luke, you will head off to the latest crime scene. Reid and Matt will check out all five autopsies. Rossi and I will set up the station," said Emily. The team nodded and all took a seat.

Emily sat at the back of the jet wondering what Dani was doing. Dani was grounded but she knows that the word grounded does not mix well with a teenager. But what really was clouding her thoughts was the question of why Dani got into a fight. She knows Dani didn't get in a fight only because a person was talking bad about her. She knows Dani better than that. Dani has her feelings made of steel, hardly ever broken. Dani wouldn't care about what a person says about her, it just doesn't reflect her profile. Emily knows it was something way more serious but she doesn't know what it was.

"Hey there," said Rossi while taking a seat across from Emily. "What has you so caught up in your thoughts?"

Emily looks up and meets Rossi's eyes. "Nothing, I was just thinking about the case."

"Are you seriously trying to lie to a profiler with years of experience under his belt?" Rossi asked with a brow raised. Emily lets out a small chuckle. "I've seen you with that face before, Emily. That is the face of a worried mother."

Emily lets out a sigh of defeat. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"It is," Rossi said while nodding. "Is there anything going on between you and Dani?"

"It's just that we got in an argument earlier in the day about her getting into a fight at school," Emily said. She rubbed her face lightly. "It… didn't end so well."

"An argument with a teenage girl," said Rossi. "I don't think those things ever end well."

"No, I don't think they ever do," Emily said with a small smile. "It's just that the argument got really heated and… I said something that I wasn't supposed to say," the agent said. She rested her head on her arm.

"What exactly did you say?" Rossi said while touching his beard.

"Her folder had a bag of Molly inside of it," she paused. "I asked her if she did not learn anything from her mother's mistakes with drug abuse ." she looks down, regretting every word she said.

"I see," Rossi said, nodding slowly. "I understand why that didn't end well. The topic of Dani's mother is very sensitive to talk to her in general. It's not very wise to bring her up like that."

"I know," said the brunette. "I said it without thinking. I tried to fix amends afterward but she just pushed me back. Honestly, I don't blame her."

"She just needs time to cool off," Rossi said. "I'm sure she knows you didn't mean to say that."

"God, I just feel like a total jerk," Emily said. "I can't believe I screwed up this badly."

"Parenting can be a very difficult job from time to time. You screw up but that is just part of growth," said the older agent. "Don't worry, Emily. You are not the first or last parent to mess up. At the end of the day, you and Dani will be just fine."


	21. Didn't Know Anything At All

**Hola! New chapter today! Time has passed by pretty fast. Its already May. I hope all of you are safe and well. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday so make sure to be on the lookout. Enjoy and be safe.**

**Chapter 21**

Dani got out of the shower feeling more relaxed. She changed into some boxing shorts and an oversized long-sleeved shirt. She dried and combed her hair and headed out to the living room. She turned on the tv, going through the channels but didn't find anything interesting to watch so she just put on the local news.

The news was talking about the weather, robberies, and some other stuff that Dani wasn't paying attention to. She just had on the tv for background noise. She was thinking about what Emily said earlier. About her not learning about her mother's mistakes. _If only she had known what it was like, _Dani thought to herself. Yes, Emily did know her past because of police reports but she didn't live through it as Dani did. Dani remembers vividly living with her mother and watching her health deteriorate because of all the drugs she would take in. She out of all people knew all the negative effects of drugs.

**4 Years Ago**

_Dani arrived back home from school. She was supposed to go back to her foster home but she knew that no one would notice her arriving a few hours late. She just wanted to see her mother again. The girl was very excited to tell her mother that she got the highest score on her English test. She unlocked the front door of the apartment and opened it. She entered and closed the door behind her. She hears her mother talking to a man. A voice that Dani hated to hear. She steps into the small living room and sees her mother talking to a tall, rather skinny man with a bald cut. The man was one of the many dealers inside the town who would distribute drugs. The man looks at Dani and gives her a cold smile._

"_Hey there kid," he said with a grin. "I see you came back from school already."_

"_Yep," Dani said with a small nod. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I just came to give your ma a package, that's all," he said while grabbing his bag. "Ima go now. See you ladies, later," he walks past Dani and leaves through the front door. Dani looks at her mother, who was standing beside the window._

"_Ma, you told me that you were going to quit that stuff," Dani said, disappointment in the girl's eyes._

"_I know, mi Amor," her mother said, walking up to her. "It's just a little. I promise you that it's not a lot." She places her hand on Dani's shoulder. "Why don't you go sit down while I prepare you something to eat, okay?"_

_Dani nods and sits down, waiting for her mother to finish preparing her meal. When she was done, her mother handed her a plate of chicken with beans. Her mother sits across from Dani with a plate in front of her. They both chatted for a bit while eating._

_Dani finished her food and looked up at her mother who had barely touched her plate. She noticed her body start to shake and her forehead sweaty. Dani knew what those signs meant. It meant that her mother needed another fix._

"_Dani, you go to your room and watch tv. I need to… clean up the living room," her mother said while standing up. She picked up both plates and placed them in the dishwasher._

"_Ma, we could watch tv together. I can put up a movie if you want," Dani said. She didn't want to leave her mother alone, especially if she knows that her mother wanted to use it again._

"_No, that's okay. You go ahead in your room," her mother replied with a shaky voice. Her body was visibly trembling. "I am just tired. I just need to relax," she said while scratching her arm._

_Dani stands up and looks at her mother. "Please ma, don't use that stuff," Dani pleaded. "It's not good for you. Por favor, no lo uses."_

"_Dan, just go to your room, hun," her mother said. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine," she said, giving her a weak smile._

_Dani hesitantly walked into her room. She locked her door and stared at her mirror. She felt sad and incompetent. How could she help her mother quit? What would her brother do? She felt useless due to her not helping her mother. She has tried different ways to help her mother but it never worked. Dani sat down on the floor and covered her face. She was crying in a silent manner. She felt like a coward but didn't know what else to do so she let her tears silently roll down her face._

_About half an hour passed by and Dani got out of her room. She walked towards the living room and saw her mother lying on the couch, presumably unconscious. Dani's heart skipped a beat. She quickly ran to her mother and touched her wrist, trying to find a pulse. Dani sighed in relief when she felt a pulse from her mother's wrist. She backed up, looking at the woman. She was lying down on the couch with her head resting against her arm. Her long, dark hair was tied up in a messy bun. Dani let out a sad sigh when she saw her mother's arm. She saw that her arm had a red bruise around due to her tying a band around it. She saw a pinch where she injected herself with the needle. Dani looked at the coffee table which had the used needle on it. She hated needles with all her heart. They are the main instrument that causes her mother to be like this. Dani went to her room and got a blanket. _

_She went back to the living room where her mother was sleeping. She walked up towards the pale and skinny woman. Dani covered her and turned around when out of nowhere she heard her mother gasp for air. Dani looked at her and saw her mother violently shaking from head to toe. She had foam in her mouth and her eyes rolled back. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Dani ran towards her mother but didn't know what to do. "Please mommy, don't go," she said with tears in her eyes._

_She grabbed a phone that was near the couch and dialed 911. The operator answered and asked what the emergency was._

"_Please help," Dani said with a shaky voice, hardly being able to say her words. "My mom overdosed. She is dying."_

**Present Time**

Dani snaps back from her memories with tears in her eyes. She didn't like crying so she quickly wiped her tears away. She hated how her brain vividly remembers the worst moments of her life. That memory was one of the many she has from her mother overdosing. The memories that bring back the feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration against herself. Dani wished she could have done more to help her mom. That was the one thing that Dani really hated about herself. The fact that she failed in protecting her mother. Her failure has cost her a life.

Dani thought to herself, what does Emily know about her mother anyways? She never saw her or has met her in person. She didn't know anything from her except for what is written in police reports. Dani frowned. Emily has no right to judge her mom. It's true, her mother has committed a lot of mistakes but that does not give Emily the right to judge her. She didn't know how her mother was suffering.

She didn't know anything at all.

Dani let out a sigh of frustration. Frustration towards herself and towards Emily. She thought Emily trusted Dani in doing the right thing. Why would Emily assume those pills were hers? Didn't Dani prove herself better? Maybe the teen overestimated her good acts.


	22. Calls

**Hey yall! A new chapter posted today! As always, the next chapter will be posted next Tuesday so don't forget to return. I love how engaged you guys are with this story in the comment section. As always, enjoy and be safe.**

**Chapter 22**

It was an early Saturday morning. Emily woke up to the sound of her alarm. It was six in the morning. The agent got up from the hotel bed and took a quick shower. After she finished, she grabbed a pair of black dress pants and a dress shirt and wore them. She then combed her raven-colored hair. Before she headed out to get a quick breakfast, she called Dani to check up on her. It was an early Saturday morning so she knew the teen would most likely be asleep but she had to make sure she was okay. The phone rang a few times before Dani answered.

"Hello?" the teen answered with a yawn.

Emily let out a small chuckle. "Hey sweetie, it's me. I just wanted to know if you were okay."

"I was until you woke me up," Dani murmured.

"Sorry," said Emily while grabbing her keys. "Did you finish all the homework that your teachers sent you?"

"I did, don't worry. It's not like I have anything better to do," responded the teen sounding tired. "My options are very limited due to me being under house arrest."

"You are not under house arrest, Dan. You are just grounded," said the agent while rolling her eyes. She knows how dramatic a teenager can be.

"I see no difference," Dani said. "I'm surprised you didn't give me an ankle bracelet."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I will keep that in my notes," Emily said playfully.

"I should have kept my mouth shut."

Emily laughed at Dani's remark. "Hey, I feel like the team and I are really close in catching this guy. I should be back in no more than two days."

"Alright," Dani said with a yawn.

"I will let you go back to sleep now before you start snoring on the phone," Emily said.

"Why thank you, agent," Dani said. "I hope I can go back to my delightful beauty sleep that was rudely disrupted."

"I said sorry," said Emily. "Talk to you later. Love you."

"Mmm-hmm," Dani said and she hung up. She wanted to fall back asleep but she wasn't sleepy anymore. She stood up and headed towards the kitchen. She wasn't really hungry so she just fixed herself a bowl of cereal. After she was done eating, Dani washed her plate and went upstairs to go change. She put on some black joggers and a white shirt. For the rest of the morning, she went on in doing chores. She cleaned up her room and went to tidy up the living room.

After finishing, she decided to go play some tunes with her guitar. It was a matte natural color with a red strap. Her favorite part of her guitar was the small puma that was carved at the front of her guitar. She remembers when she first got her guitar when she was 12. Her friends encouraged her to buy one so that they can play music together. She saved enough money to get herself one at the music shop down the street where she used to live. She remembers how excited she was when she finally held her guitar for the first time. Dani grins at the memory.

While playing, Dani received a call. At first, she thought it was Emily but then she noticed that it was her friend Camila. She picks up the phone and answers.

"Que Onda, Cami. What's up?" Dani answered.

"Hey, Dan. The guys and I were wondering something," Camila said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"We have this gig at this party tonight. We were wondering if you want to join us," Camila said. "Just like old times."

"I umm. I don't know," Dani replied with a sound of doubt. She knows that she is grounded and isn't allowed to go anywhere.

"Cmon, Dan," her friend said. " It's this really cool party where we will go. I know the guy who is hosting it. Apart from the money he is going to pay us, he will let us enjoy the party. I'm talking about dance, food, and drinks! And I am not talking about any regular drinks. I am talking about good drinks."

Dani paused and thought about it for a moment. She knows that if she gets caught she will get into even more trouble than she already is in. At the same time, it didn't really matter. Dani was still mad at the fact that she got in trouble for things she didn't do. She also was holding a grudge against Emily for what she has said about her mother. Dani needed to relax and cool off. If she was going to get punished for something she didn't do at least she won't be stuck at home being miserable for one night.

"Alright. Send me the time and address and I will be there." 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Emily was in an office reviewing files from the latest crime scene. Pictures of the crime scene showing a dead man corpse on the ground. Both arms and legs cut off but not found in the scene. The unsub had various dump sites located in the woods where he disposed of the bodies. Emily analyzed the pictures carefully, noticing that the unsub was a person who had some sort of experience when it came to dismembering the limbs. This unsub must've had some sort of medical training or worse. This unsub could have acquired these skills by doing this for a while. There could be bodies that the police haven't discovered yet.

Emily feels her phone vibrate and takes it out of her pocket. She reads the caller ID and sees that it was Penelope.

"Hey, Garcia. Anything new you found?" Emily asked.

"Yes! I couldn't find anything that connected the first two victims but listen to this, the last three victims, Mark, Garry, and Cindy, all were a part of this fitness group in the city. They participated in tournaments in the state and sometimes even went national. These guys were hardcore fitness addicts. They exercised like they breathe."

"What happened to the group?" Emily asked.

"Well, it looks like they just stopped the group abruptly a year ago. None of them have been in contact with each other since then," Garcia replied.

"We need to know why they disband the group. This can be our key to finding the unsub," said Emily. "Is there any other member that was in the group?" she asked.

"Yes. Her name is Gina Rose. She lives in a town in Baldwin, Pennsylvania. I will send the whole team both work and home address."

"Thank you, Garcia. Anything else?" asked Emily.

"Yes, but it has nothing to do with the case."

"What is it about?" asked the agent with curiosity.

"It's about Dani and the fight she was involved in," said the tech analyst. "I checked the footage of when the fight broke out."

"So you're telling me you hacked into the school's security system," Emily stated. She had a feeling that Garcia would do something like this.

"Uhh, maybe but that is not the point of this conversation," Penelope replied. "I sent you a copy of the footage. Check your tablet."

"Okay," Emily said while unlocking her Ipad. She clicks on the video that Garcia sent her and starts to watch it. She sees Dani and her friends talking to another group of teenagers. Dani says something and her with her friends turn around heading towards the cafeteria, leaving the group of teens behind. Emily sees how Dani abruptly stops walking and turns around looking angry. She walks towards a girl and says something. The only thing Emily could decipher from what the teen said was "What the hell did you just say,". The camera angle was at a position where she can see Dani but only sees the back of the other girl. Emily wonders what she said which made Dani so angry. She then sees Dani throwing a strong punch at the girl. Out of nowhere another girl pops out of the locker and lunges at Dani. She watches as all the commotion goes down until security appears and escorts them out.

"Unfortunately, the video has no audio but whatever the girl said made Dani angry and I mean very, very angry," Garcia said through the phone. "Even though Dani is at fault with the fight, she is innocent when it comes to the drugs that were found in her folder."

"What do you mean?"

"Zoom in on the boy wearing the black sweater in minute 1:20," Garcia told Emily.

Emily moves the video to the time Garcia told her and saw that through all the commotion that there was because of the fight, the teenage boy took a small bag out of his pocket and quickly crouched down on the floor where Dani's folder was. He slid the small bag inside her folder and quickly backed away.

"He was the one who planted the bag in her folder," Garcia stated

"Yep. It's him alright," Emily said with a sigh. She rubbed her face and shook her head. Dani was right, that bag was not hers. Emily felt like a total imbecile after watching the video. Why did he do this? Why didn't she believe Dani from the beginning? Emily felt bad for immediately accusing her daughter instead of listening to her.

She had to fix her amends.

Emily wanted to apologize. She had to tell Dani that she was sorry for doubting her but she didn't want to do it by phone. Emily had to do it in person.

"Do you think this footage can decrease the amount of time Dani is suspended?" asked Garcia.

"It will help. I will send this to the principal and make sure the truly responsible person pays for what they have done," Emily said with full determination. "Thank you so much, Garcia."

"Not a problem at all. Did you really think I was going to sit down doing nothing after hearing about this? I know Dani. There was no hecking way those things were her's," she told Emily. "As her self-appointed godmother, I had to work up some magic. My sugar bear needs to know that at least one person believed in her and that she is not alone."


	23. Worth It

**Hey guys! Its Tuesday and that means a new chapter. I hope all of you guys are doing well. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday so remember to keep that in mind. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 23**

It was around eight in the afternoon when Dani arrived at the party. It was located in a two-story house. The party was being held in the backyard of the house. There was a large white tent outside where music was playing. Dani sees her friends sitting at the front of the house porch. Her friends wave at her and she walks up to them.

"Hey, Dan," Camila said while giving her a hug. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Me too," Dani replied. She went to go hug Antonio and Jose, who were cleaning up their instruments.

"Where do we set up, Cam?" asked Antonio while polishing his wine red colored accordion.

"At the back. Follow me," Camila said. She led the way while the rest followed her. They went to the backyard where the party was being held. The bright flashing lights were all over the tent. A DJ was playing music at the back with two large speakers. Camila led them to an improvised stage at the opposite side where the DJ was. Jose and Antonio were setting up the drum. Dani and Camila were taking out their guitars from their case. They placed their guitars on a stand. After a while, they finished setting up.

"What time do we play?" asked Jose to Camila.

"We have about fifteen minutes," she replied. "We can use that time to practice."

"Sounds good," Dani said while grabbing her guitar. The rest of the group got settled with their instrument and started practicing. Camila received a sheet of paper that had a list of song requests written on it. The group of friends looked at the list and agreed on how to play them. Just like Camila said, after fifteen minutes the DJ announced them as the band who was going to play next. After a warm greeting, filled with applause, Camila announced the group.

"Buenas Noches mi gente!" Camila said in an energized tone. "On this wonderful night, the band and I will be bringing you the biggest hits this evening. Thank you all for inviting us tonight. Now without further ado, I present to you, LOS PUMAS!" _The Pumas._ Dani remembers the day she and her friends came up with that name for the group. Antonio was the one who came up with the name after seeing the puma carving on Dani's guitar. After they all agreed on the name, the rest of the friends placed a puma sticker on each of their instruments. Dani smiles at the memory.

Dani hears the tapping of Jose's drum sticks starting. _Tap, tap, tap._ That was the signal to start the show. The band started to play. Antonio was the lead singer for the male side while Dani was the lead singer for the female side. They always had a routine when choosing song genres to play. They started to play upbeat songs to get the crowd warmed up. After a few songs, they started to play more catchy songs in order to get the crowd dancing. As the night went on they played various music genres such as romantic love songs to duets. In the end, they were singing sad breakup songs. This was done on purpose due to them knowing that half of the crowd would be drunk by now. The people in the crowd who were drunk were singing along to the songs. They were holding a beer in one hand while singing in a heartbroken tone.

After they finished singing the last song for the night, the crowd filled them with cheers and applause. Dani loved the sensation of finishing a show. It gave her a sense of accomplishment which always warmed her heart. It's been a while since she has felt this. The group thanked the crowd and walked down the stage with a big smile on all of their faces.

After the group of friends finished playing, the host of the party invited them to eat. He led them to a table that was filled with different kinds of dishes. The table had burgers, hotdogs, and a variation of steak. The smell of the food made Dani's mouth drool. She served herself a burger and a steak. When all four friends finished serving themselves food, they sat at an empty table at the back of the yard.

"Oh, man. This food is so good," Jose said while taking a bite of his burger.

"You can say that again," Antonio said. "This steak is amazing."

"We really crushed it out there," Jose said while pointing at the stage. "Especially you, Dani. You haven't lost the magic touch."

"I will never lose the magic touch mi amigo," Dani said with a smile. "I really enjoyed this. It was really fun."

"And this is just the beginning my friend," Camila said. She stood up and went to a cooler that was next to the food table. She took out four beers and brought it back to the table. "The night is long my dear friends. We have to celebrate our successful concert."

Antonio takes out a bottle opener from his keychain and opens all four bottles. He hands a bottle to each friend at the table.

"We won't get in trouble because of this right?" Jose asked while pointing at the beer. "You know, the whole drinking underage shit."

"Relax, Jose. We are all under sanctuary here. Don't worry about it." Camila said while taking a sip. "You shouldn't be the one worrying about it. Dani should be the one who should be worried. She lives with a cop."

"But, she ain't at home," Dani said with a smug on her face. She knew very well that the agent was in another state. This gave her full freedom to enjoy the party without limits. "The only thing I am worried about tonight is not having a good time."

"And that won't happen under my watch," Camila said while lifting her beer. "With this and music, we will have a blast for the rest of the night."

"In that case," Dani said while taking a big gulp from her beer. "Let's party!"

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

During the course of the night, the group of friends was having a blast at the party. The teens had a full bar of energy for the night. They danced to the rhythm of the music, hardly ever stopping for a break. They also had a few rounds of beer. One of the teens who drank the most was Dani. She lost count after the fourth beer. A normal teenager would probably be wasted with the amount she drank, but that wasn't Dani's case. She was pretty used to the amount by now. After all, she learned from one of the best while being inside the foster care system. The teen was always careful not to get too carried away. She didn't want to wake up in the middle of the street with a severe hangover.

The music was blasting and the teens kept on dancing. From reggaeton to bachata, they were always on their feet dancing.

After a while, the teens took a seat back at the table. All that dancing has finally caught up with them, leaving their feet sore and tired. They were at the table telling stories and crazy events that they remembered. They were all laughing and giggling like they never were before. It was around one in the morning when Jose checked his phone.

"This was the best party I've been to for a while," said Antonio while stretching his arms. "Unfortunately I have to go before my uncle kills me," he said while getting up.

"Me too. My parents would beat my ass if I don't arrive soon," Jose said. "You guys are still staying?"

"No, we will head out too," Camila said. "Dani, you are staying at my place tonight so you don't have to go all the way back to the city," she said while tapping Dani's shoulder.

"Sounds good," Dani replied. The friends gathered their instruments and said their goodbyes. Dani went with Camila to her house, which was only a five-minute walk from the party.

They arrive at Camila's house, which is a small, white house at the corner of the street. Camila unlocks the front door and both girls enter. Camila turns on the living room lights and heads towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Dani places her guitar down and sits down at the couch, her feet tired of dancing during the whole night.

"Your mom working the night shift?" Dani asked Camila, who was entering the living room with two bottles of water.

"Yep," she said while handing Dani a bottle. "She left around twelve so she won't be home until eleven," she said while taking a seat.

"So the house is all yours?" Dani asked.

"Si," Dani responded while nodding. "Don't worry about her. You can stay and sleep. Do you want to sleep in my bed or here on the couch?"

"The couch is fine," Dani said with a tired smile.

"You sure?"

"Yep. This will do," Dani said while stretching. She didn't want to bother her friend.

"Alright," Camila said while getting up. "I will bring you a pillow and blanket so you can get comfy," she said. Camila went to her room with a purple blanket and pillow. She gave it to Dani and told her if she needed anything else to just tell her. Dani thanked her and laid down on the couch. Her eyes were very heavy with exhaustion.

_Everything ran well and smoothly._ She thought to herself while rubbing her eyes. She was glad she decided to leave the house and party with her friends. If for some reason Emily were to find out that she snuck out, Dani knows she would pay a high price for her actions. The agent would scold her until she would run out of words in the English lexicon. Then she would transition to Spanish. Dani bit her lip knowing that she would be facing Agent Prentiss if she were to get caught.

"Worth it," she said with a rebellious smirk.

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. A teenager rebelling, who would have thought? Anyways, I usually don't write here but I just wanted to address something. One thing I wanted to clarify is the origin of this Fanfic. I began writing this story roughly a year ago. It was mostly just a personal project for myself, something that I would do during my free time. I wrote a rough draft of the story arc, characters, relationships, etc. This is why I am able to upload at a faster pace than others. I took a pause for a while and then went back on writing again. That is when I decided I should post it on a platform so that others can enjoy it as well. Never did it for views or for favorites, just for fun and entertainment. I want to make one thing clear, I would never plagiarize or outright steal another person's work. That is not how I work. I know how damn hard it could be writing a story in order to be good and entertaining. Yes, there can be similarities between a few parts, but those similarities are vague. I have a settled story arc with twists and turns as the story progresses. A story arc I hope you all enjoy.**

**Alright, that's enough blabbering.**

**See ya.**


	24. Everything Went Dark

**Hola! New chapter today. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story thus far. Being stuck at home isn't very entertaining, especially if it has been for more than 2 months. but I hope this story is keeping you slightly entertained. As always, I will be posting the next chapter on Tuesday so remember that. Any thoughts or suggestions so far? **

**Enjoy.**

**Chapter 24**

_Ding_

Dani wakes up to her phone notification. She sits up and instantly regrets getting up so fast. Her head was pounding and spinning around. _I shouldn't have drunk so much. Why the hell do I do this to myself? _She asked herself. She rubbed her eyes and got her phone. Her vision was blurry and the bright phone screen didn't help. Once her eyes adjusted, she checked the time. It was roughly nine o'clock. She saw a message from Emily.

_Emily: Hey, honey. We solved the case. I will arrive in DC in a few hours but I have to pass by the office to fill out some paperwork. Take care :)_

"Shit", Dani murmured. She stood up and went to the bathroom. The teen looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like hell with roughly no hours of sleep. Her eyes were slightly red with dark circles under them. She washed her face with cold water to fully wake herself up. When she stepped out of the bathroom she saw Camila sitting down on the couch.

"I see you are trying to get rid of the hangover too," Camila chuckled.

"Emphasize on trying," Dani said while walking toward Camila. "Emily is coming back today. I don't want her seeing me all woozy and shit."

"Oh crap. Will she be here soon?" Camila asked while heading towards the kitchen. Dani followed her.

"Not until the afternoon," Dani said with a yawn. "But I still need to sober up. The last thing I need right now is for her to be up my ass telling me how I was supposed to be home because I'm grounded."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like fun but don't worry. I have coffee," Camila said. She prepared two coffee mugs and handed a mug to Dani. Dani loved the smell of warm coffee. The two teens finished drinking and washed their mugs.

"Thank you, Cam," Dani said while picking up her guitar case. "I gotta go now. I need to shower and change before Emily smells the alcohol."

"No problem," Camila said with a smile. "I will call you when we have our next gig."

"Cool," Dani replied. She hugged her friend goodbye and headed out. She walked two blocks where a bus stop was located. She waited fifteen minutes until the bus arrived. She entered and paid with cash. She didn't want Emily to know that she was out so paying with cash is a better alternative.

Dani was hungry so she decided to stop by a Dunkin Doughnut to get breakfast. She ordered a breakfast wrap and an iced coffee with the hope that this food will help her sober up.

After finishing eating, she felt more energized so she decided to walk the rest of the way home. It would only take her about ten minutes. She put on her headphones and started to walk.

The walk was uneventful. The streets were quiet and only a few people were walking outside. Dani was a few blocks away from the apartment. She decided to take a short cut to arrive faster. She was walking through an apartment complex. The place was calm. The morning sun rays were beaming lightly creating beautiful scenery between the apartments. The only thing Dani could hear was the sound of birds chirping in the background.

While walking, Dani's music paused abruptly. She stopped and looked at her phone. "Damn it. Why is my data going slow?" she said to herself. She closed her music app and opened it again, hoping it would load. She was waiting for her song to load when all of a sudden she felt something hit her hard on the back of her head which made her fall hard on the floor. She lifts her head up from the concrete floor and turns around and sees a person with a hiking mask standing over her. Dani tries to stand up in order to escape, but the man kicks her, causing her to stumble. He dunks down and covers her mouth and nose with a tissue. Dani tried to push the man away but in a matter of seconds, her brain started to feel foggy and her eyelids were feeling heavy.

Then everything went dark.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Hours passed by and the team arrived back at Quantico. The team were all inside the elevator, waiting to arrive back at the office. Reid was telling the whole team a list of facts about Pennsylvania after Luke asked him if he knew the state.

"Did you guys know that Pennsylvania is the only original colony not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean," Reid told the group. "And that Pittsburgh has over 300 sets of city maintained steps. If they were stacked on top of each other, they would reach over 26,000 feet high. They would measure higher than a lot of the Himalayan Mountains."

"Why would you know that information?" Matt asked with a puzzled expression.

"No! Don't ask no more questions," Emily told him. She was tired of being bombarded with facts. "If you continue he will end up telling us how many insects are in that state," she said while rubbing her head. The team giggled.

"Actually, the state has over-"

_Ding_. The elevator doors open, interrupting Reid's fact. The team steps out of the elevator, escaping hearing any more facts Reid had to offer. They suddenly hear running down the hallway. They turn and see Penelope running towards them with a very worried look on her face.

"Hey, Garcia. What's wrong?" asked JJ with a brow raised.

"Oh my God! I… I tried calling you guys but I forgot that you were on the jet and… and," Garcia said while stuttering. It was obvious that she was very anxious.

"Garica, calm down," Emily said while placing down her bag at a nearby table. "What happened?"

"Dani is in danger," Garcia said with a face of fear. The team's face changed abruptly from relaxed to full alert. Emily's heart skipped a beat when she heard the techanalyst say that. "I saw this in the mail and… oh God," she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. She takes out an envelope and hands it to Emily, her hands visibly shaking.

Emily takes the envelope and opens it slowly. She takes out the papers that were inside and looks at them.

Immediately, her heart sank.

She saw pictures of Dani tied up against a pole, both hands, and feet tied. She had duck tape strapped to her mouth, preventing her to talk. In the pictures, Dani was hardly conscious. Barely being able to hold her head up.

Emily slowly placed the pictures on the table and backed up. Her brain couldn't wrap around the thought of Dani being kidnapped. Emily felt a wave of fear. _Who took her? Why did they take her? What do they want?_ Many questions popped up at once but she had no answer. The main question that was haunting her mind was if Dani is okay. She was scared of Dani being hurt or even worse.

The team all gather around and look at the pictures carefully. They were all shocked by these images.

"I am so sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Garcia told Emily in a whisper.

"It's okay, Penelope," said the brunette, trying to compose herself. "Do you know who brought the envelope?"

"It was with the rest of the mail we received. No address or anything of that sort was written on it."

"In that case, we will have to find out who sent that envelope," Rossi said. "That will be the key in knowing who took Dani."

"We won't rest until we find her," JJ said with assurance. The team all nodded in agreement.

"In that case, let's begin."


	25. Missing

**Hey guys! New chapter today. I know some of you guys would have wanted Dani and Emily to come to terms with each other but let's just say I have something else in mind. To spice things up if you catch my drift. As always, the next chapter will be posted on Tuesday so remember to check it out. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 25**

The team split up in groups in search of the missing teen. Garcia pinpointed the last known location on Dani's phone. Matt, Tara, and Reid went to the apartment complex where Garcia found the last known location. The rest of the team stayed behind trying to figure out who abducted Dani.

"Do you know of anyone who might have taken her?" asked JJ to Emily. "Someone who she might have had an altercation with?"

"No, not really," Emily said while shaking her head. Emily was used to asking these questions to other people involved in a case she had to solve. She never would have imagined being asked of possible suspects of her own daughter's abduction. "Well, she did get in a fight with these two girls at school. That's about the only people I can think of." She doubts it could be them. Emily knows Dani. The teen was physically fit, she would have put up a hell of a good fight if the girls were to try to kidnap her. After all, she easily took both girls out during the fight that happened at school with no trouble.

"Garcia, check out where those girls were at the past twenty-four hours," Rossi said.

"On it, sir," she replied while quickly typing all information on her computer. She frowns and looks up at him. "I see nothing unusual. Both girls were at home the whole day. They were very active on social media during the day."

"What if it was a rival gang from Dani's father?" Asked Luke. "Even though she was never actively involved, it could be a way for them to show dominance over the gang."

"I don't think so," Emily said while looking at a map. "The last place she was located was over here in this apartment complex. There are no signs of any gang activity in or near this area," she said while pointing at the map. She knows Dani is a potential target for rival gang members. Her family ties in with gang activity, specifically her father. but the geographical profile didn't match one of gang activity.

"Gangs tend to want to spread their territory, but this place is out of range," Rossi said.

"I just don't know who would want to do this," Emily said while taking a seat. She rubs her temple, still unable to comprehend why her daughter was taken. JJ walks towards her and places her hand on Emily's shoulder.

"We are going to find her, Em," she assures the brunette. "She will be back at home with you really soon."

Emily glanced at JJ and gave her a small smile and nodded. She appreciated JJ lifting up her spirits. Just then, Matt, Tara, and Reid arrived back from the apartment complex. They enter the office where the rest of the team were in. The team looks up at them, hoping they found something.

"Did you guys find something?" asked JJ.

"Yes. We found this," Matt said holding a rather large item. Emily immediately recognized it and stood up, walking towards Matt. He hands her the item and Emily looks at it. It was Dani's guitar case. She places it down the table and opens the case. The matte natural colored guitar was inside. The same guitar Dani brought the first day she moved in with her. Emily could never forget how it looked. The most valuable item the teen had brought in when she first moved in with her. The guitar was broken in various parts.

"This is her guitar," Emily said, still looking at the guitar. It was one of Dani's most prized possessions. The teen always took good care of it. "Where did you find it?" She wondered why the teen was out with her guitar. Maybe she was going out to some sort of event.

"It was at this small alleyway near the apartment complex," Reid answered. "We saw tire marks in there. She was abducted and taken in a vehicle."

"Garcia, check for buildings and traffic cameras near that area around the same time Dani was abducted," Emily said. Garcia nodded and started to type.

"Any potential suspects?" asked Tara.

"No, not yet," Rossi responded. "All possible suspects have been checked out."

"How did the note get in the mail?" asked Alvez with the note in hand. "It had no address or any type of information. How did it get here?"

"If it had no address, the person must have somehow mixed it up with the rest of the mail," JJ said.

"Whoever took her knows Dani very well," Reid told the group. "The unsub most likely would've been spying on Dani weeks before. Learning where and who she lives with. Knowing where she goes and even knowing where Emily works. This person has something personal against Dani. This was not random."

"The problem is knowing who," Emily said. "Dani is a calm and reserved kid. She gets along with everyone. I don't know who would want to do this to her." Emily felt incompetent. She had no clue who would do this. She knows the teen and her interactions with others. Towards strangers, Dani would be quite reserved but respectful. To the people that she knows, Dani would be a kind and loving person.

The agent has rarely ever felt scared. She was always strong and her feelings were made of solid steel. Emily feels fear crawling on her back every minute that passes by. A type of fear that she never felt before. Fear of losing her daughter.

JJ looks up and sees the delivery man place more envelopes inside the box. She walks up to the box and takes out all the envelopes and brings them inside the office. The team watched as JJ put on a pair of latex gloves and carefully went through each envelope. She stopped and took an envelope out, placing the rest down.

"Just as I thought," she told the team while showing them the envelope. Just like the first one, the envelope was completely blank, revealing no information. "We got another one from the unsub," she said while opening it carefully. The team went around her in order to see what was inside.

Emily waited anxiously for JJ to take out the paper. Part of her was afraid of seeing what was inside but she had to know what was in there. She wanted to know if Dani was okay.

JJ unfolds the paper, revealing the information it contained.

"A QR code?" Said Tara, visibly confused.

"I can scan that right now," said Garcia. She wanted to help in any way she could to get Dani back. JJ handed her the paper and Garcia scanned it on her phone that was connected to her computer. The QR code took her to a live feed. It was dark. The team can hardly make out what was in the frame.

"It took us to live footage," Rossi said while looking at the screen. "Why is everything so dark?"

As if on cue, the footage showed how the room's light turned on. The place looked like a cellar or basement of some sort. The camera zoomed in and showed Dani. She was still tied up to a pole. She was more conscious, looking around the place but failed to notice the camera. She tries to get rid of the ropes that were restraining her but there was no success.

Suddenly, the footage shows a person approaching Dani wearing a ski mask.

He dunks down, face to face with Dani. They stare each other down, the teen frowning at him. He suddenly throws a hard punch, hitting her right on the jaw.

Emily's heart plunged immediately.


	26. A Drop Point Blade?

**Hey yall! New chapter today! An overall pretty short chapter but I promise next chapter will be posted on Tuesday. I hope you all enjoy ;) Questions or comments? Leave it in the comment section. **

**Chapter 26**

Dani felt the strong force of his punch make contact with her jaw. She stumbled to the side but quickly restored her position. She moved her jaw slowly and tasted the metallic flavor of blood.

She smirked and spat out the blood in her mouth, looking at the man's eyes. His light blue eyes were looking at her with anger. A type of anger that Dani has never seen before.

"What do you want from me?" Dani asked, looking at him.

"I don't understand why she took you in," said the man, still crouched down. "You are just a pathetic little girl."

"The hell are you talking about?" asked Dani with a frown. "I may be pathetic but I am not a coward like you. You, a grown-ass man has a girl tied up to this thing," she said while pointing at the ropes. "Such a coward that you hide your face."

The man shifts to the side, having his back against the camera. He slowly takes off the ski mask, revealing his face. The man looked like he was in his early twenties. His skin was pale and he had dark blonde, wavy hair. His left eyebrow had a nasty scar going through it. The image reminded her of the fictional character Scar from The Lion King.

Dani looked at him with a puzzled face. She never met that man in her life. She tried to think back of a time she could have crossed paths with him but came out empty-handed.

"Do you know who I am?" asked the man.

Dani shook her head. How would she know who this guy is? The man pulled her collar from her shirt aggressively. They were looking at each other face to face.

"Do you have any idea of who I am?!" the man exclaimed in an angry tone. Dani felt his breath with every word he said.

"No, I don't!" she told him. "I don't know who you are or what the hell you want. No offense, but I think you have the wrong person."

"No. I have exactly who I want," he said with an evil grin.

"What do you want from me?" asked the teen, still being held by the man. "Is this some type of act of revenge? Because I don't recall doing anything wrong against you."

"It's true, you did nothing wrong to me," said the man. He let Dani out of his grip and placed his ski mask back on. "But you know someone who did."

The man unties the ropes that had Dani's feet tied against the pole and stands up.

"Stand up," he ordered.

Dani shook her head. "I don't want to," she said sternly.

"You are very stupid," he told her. He grabbed Dani from her arm and pulled her up. Dani reluctantly stood up to her feet. She looked around the place trying to find a possible exit. She thought of the possibility of fighting the man, but her hands were tied up together with a rope and she didn't know if he was armed.

The man dragged her and pushed her to a chair. He untied her hands and immediately strapped them to the arms of the chair. Dani tried to pull her arms away but there was no use, he was too strong.

"There is no point in fighting. You will just waste your time," the man told Dani. He took out something from his back pocket. It was a blade. "You will die either way."

Dani looks at the blade, trying to hide her initial shock. "A Drop Point blade?" she said with a brow raised. "I prefer a Clip Point blade. I guess it's a matter of preference," she said with a smirk.

"You are something else, you know that?" said the man walking closer to her. "I will admit, I thought you would be scared to death by now," he takes the blade and drags it down Dani's face. He does it lightly, barely touching her skin. This is enough to make Dani shudder.

"Looks like you underestimated me," she said while trying to sound as confident as possible.

"No. I was just warming up," he said with a grin. He grabs Dani a fistful of Dani's hair and pulls it back with force, forcing her head to look up.

"You saw the scar I have, right?" He asked her.

"No shit. That thing is huge and nasty," Dani said with an attitude. "Anyone can see that from a far distance."

The man looks at her and lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Ha. Everyone who meets me always remembers me by my scar. I was thinking maybe you should get the same scar I have," he said while tracing her face with the blade. "If you somehow manage to get out of here alive, you will always remember this day each time you stare at the mirror."

He moves the blade to the bottom of Dani's left eyebrow. She clenches her fist when she feels the blade cutting through her skin. The man dragged the blade slowly, cutting through the rest of her brow. He stopped and let go of Dani. He walked back, letting out a burst of maniacal laughter.

The cut was deep. Dani felt part of her face stinging in pain, feeling blood coming out of her wound, tracing around her face and part of her eye. "You're a piece of shit," she said, spitting out her words.

"What? Does it hurt already?" He said while tilting his head. "That was just the beginning."

Dani was still feeling blood going down part of her face. She tried to wipe it away with her shoulder. "Why are you doing this!?" The teen exclaimed in anger.

The man walks towards Dani and makes the tip of the blade come in contact with her arm, barely touching her skin. "This isn't about you. Don't take it personally."

He presses the blade to her skin and drags the blade up her arm. The teen couldn't contain her initial pain, a groan escaping as she felt the blade piercing through her skin. She clenched her jaw through her pain as he continued to drag the blade down her skin. He took the blade and made another cut, then another, then another. Dani let out a painful whimper when feeling her skin stinging in pain. He stopped and switched to the other arm, doing the same thing.

He finished and placed the blade back in his pocket. Dani had her head down, refusing to look at him. "I will see you later my friend," he whispered to Dani's ear. He looked at her once more and walked away.


	27. A Long List

**Hello fellow humans. A new chapter is posted for today. Almost to 30 chapters, time sure flies. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday so don't forget to come back and check it out. **

**Chapter 27**

The team looked at the computer screen, horror written on all of their faces. They all couldn't believe what they just witnessed. The female members were trying everything they could in order to hold back their tears. The male members had their blood boiling in anger.

The video showed Dani sitting alone in the cellar. She was breathing heavily, letting out a curse word once in a while.

But the teen was determined not to show a sign of weakness.

Then the screen went blank.

Emily felt fire in her chest. She tried to contain in her tears, but one tear managed to escape, tracing her face. She quickly wiped it away, not wanting to show her team how hurt she was. During the course of the years, Emily has seen countless videos of Serial killers torturing their victims. Emily never liked this part of the job, but she managed to get through it. This was different. This wasn't just any victim. This person was her daughter. The girl that she took in her home in order to love and protect her. She watched as she was getting hurt without being able to help her.

And that was the part that was killing Emily the most.

"Garcia, did you manage to get a location?" asked Rossi, breaking the silence.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to trace anything," Garcia said, wiping tears away from her face. "The video would bounce back every thirty seconds."

"Who is this son of a bitch?" asked Luke. His anger was very evident.

"Well, we have a rough physical description of the unsub," said Tara. "From what we were able to see, he is a white male with dark blonde hair. From his body structure, we can conclude that his age ranges from early to mid-twenties."

"From what he was saying, he has a scar going through his face," Matt added quietly, not wanting to remember how the unsub dragged the blade through the teen's brow.

"And we know who he is really after," Said Rossi while placing some papers on the table. The team looked at him confused, wanting to know who he was referring to.

"What do you mean?" asked Garcia.

"He said it himself. He doesn't want Dani," said the older agent. "He is going after someone who is close to her."

"He is going after Emily," Reid stated.

Emily looks up at him. "After me? How do you know that?" she asked with a brow raised.

"Well, the unsub mentioned Dani knows someone who wronged him. Specifically a female. His anger shows that this person is someone very close to Dani. You fall in that category," he started. "This is why we have been receiving these letters directly to Quantico. This isn't about Dani, it's about you."

"He is using Dani to get to Emily," JJ said, looking at Reid. Reid nodded in agreement.

"So this unsub believes Emily wronged him?" asked Matt. "This can be anyone from any of our past cases."

"Not just anyone," Emily said, walking towards the computer. "This person's anger shows that it's something very personal."

"This can be from a more extensive case, somewhere where you were actively involved," Tara said while looking at the brunette. "This person is likely to be a family member of the person you apprehended."

"That's going to be a long list," Emily said with a sigh. She could only imagine the long list of people she arrested during the years. The list would be a long one if added in there family members.

"But with the physical description we have we can start narrowing it down," Garcia said while typing on her computer. She was searching for any cases Emily was involved in which had people that match the description.

"I will go get some files from my office that have crucial cases I was involved in," Emily told the team. They all nodded and she walked out. She entered her office and closed her door.

The agent sat on her desk and immediately started going through files. She separated files that she believed could be related to this situation. Files from more extensive cases throughout her years in the BAU.

While going through files, Emily glances at a picture frame that was on her desk and manages to let out a small smile. The picture was from Dani's birthday last year. It showed Emily and Dani hugging with cake on both of their faces. Both faces were filled with joy, Emily embracing the teen with a tight hug.

And now Emily can't hug her daughter.

Emily couldn't hold in her feelings much longer. She broke down, quietly but with a heartache. Tears streaming down her face, something that she has rarely ever done. The tears she cried represented her sadness and fear. She couldn't bear the feeling of the possibility of losing Dani. Emily wouldn't know what she would do if something bad happened to her. The agent knows she can't afford to do this. She can't let these feelings get the best of her. She had to be strong for Dani. She has to think with a clear mind in order to get her daughter back.

The agent would go through anything in order to save Dani.

Emily wipes her tears away and composes herself. It was a hard task but necessary if she wanted her daughter back. She reviews through more files, hoping to find the person who has Dani. She looked at crucial cases she was involved in. Specifically, cases in which she had a violent altercation with the unsub. Emily thinks of the reason why Dani was taken. She was taken in order to hurt Emily. _What if the case I was involved in didn't end well? _She asked herself. _What if the unsub resulted in injuries. Maybe the unsub was killed during their apprehension._ These cases are rare but do happen. Emily has witnessed unsubs being killed during her years working in the BAU. She never liked it when cases ended with the unsubs death. She always believed the killer should pay for their crimes with prison, not death.

These thoughts brought a chill through her whole body. This person wanted revenge. Emily knows that if the person the unsub is avenging died during one of her investigations, Dani would be in danger of running the same fate.

Emily felt her heart crumble just by thinking about it.

Then her phone rang.

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Dani was sitting alone in the dark cellar. She looked around, trying to see if the man was there. She saw no one so she started to pull her arms, trying to break the straps that had her tied up to the chair. She pulled with all her force but it was no use. The strap wouldn't budge.

Dani gave up and slouched on the chair. She looked at her arms. The cuts on her arms stopped bleeding, which was a relief to her. She did feel a slight sting on her arms but it wasn't anything that she couldn't handle.

What was bothering her was the cut on her brow. The cut was a deep cut. She felt a burning sensation which made her wince in pain each time she slightly moved her face. Unlike the other cuts, this one was still bleeding. She felt her blood streaming across her face. She just hoped the pain would go away soon.

She let out a frustrated sigh. Dani was very confused about why this man wanted her. _Does this have something to do with Marco?_ She thought of the possibility of this having something to do with her father's gang. She was thinking that maybe a rival gang member took her in order to show authoritative power over Marco. Dani shook her head. That wasn't it. She analyzed the situation. One, the area where she was taken is not a gang territory. Two, only one person took her. She didn't see anyone else so this guy was working alone. Three, if he was in some type of gang he would have mentioned it by now. Gang members wear their names with pride and associate with it. This was not the case.

"Great, I'm gonna get killed and I don't know the reason why," She mumbled to herself. She wondered if anyone noticed that she was missing.

Emily.


	28. Caller ID

**Hello guys! New chapter today! Woo hoo! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I see a few people trying to figure out who this mystery Unsub is. Will we learn his identity in this chapter? Guess you all have to read it to find out. LOL. Anyways, remember that the next chapter will be posted on Tuesday. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 28**

Dani had her eyes wide open when the agent's name came to mind. She knew Emily came back from Pennsylvania a few hours ago. Dani assumed that Emily would have arrived home by now and noticed that Dani wasn't at home. The agent would have tried to contact her with no success. _She has to know by now, _thought the teen. Dani knows Emily would be looking for her right now. Emily has always been protective of her and would have noticed signs of possible danger. Dani hoped and trusted that the agent in knowing that something was wrong.

She trusted her with her life.

Dani had hope in Emily and in the team of finding her. _They saved me the first time when they didn't know me. Now that they do, they will do anything they can to save me again._ She thought to herself. She knows the team is really good at their job. They are the smartest people Dani knows. She places all her hope on the team finding her. Hopefully, before it's too late.

She leans her back against the chair and winces slightly while feeling a sting on her face.

"Gosh. Being held hostage sucks," she murmured to herself.

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Emily looked at her ringing phone on the table. The number had no caller ID. Emily had a hunch about who it was. She picked up and answered.

"This is Emily Prentiss," she stated.

"Why hello there agent," said the man at the other end of the line. Emily felt goosebumps crawling through her skin when hearing the voice on the other end of the line. It was the same voice of the man of the live feed.

"Where is she?" She demanded.

"Who?" Asked the man sarcastically. "Are you talking about Daniela?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about," Emily said, raising her voice.

"Wow. Calm down, agent. Where are your manners?" He said. "I believe you received the video I sent you. You saw it yourself. She is fine," he paused and let out a small chuckle. "Well, maybe not in the best conditions but she is breathing."

Emily felt a chilling sensation throughout her body when hearing him laugh. "You touch her one more time and I swear to God I will-"

"You will what? Kill me?" He said, defying Emily. "You can't do that. To start off with, you don't know where I am."

"I will find you. That is a promise," Emily said, biting her words.

"You see, that will take too long and I have a very small amount of patience," he told her. "But I can offer you a deal."

"What is it?"

"I can tell where you can find the kid. But the thing is, I don't want anyone else to know about this. No one. I want you to come alone. Don't you dare tell anyone of your team where you are headed to," He paused. "If I even suspect that you told any of your FBI friends of where you are headed off, I will make sure you find Daniela in a body bag," he said coldly. "Do we have a deal?"

Emily paused at the question. She wanted to desperately know where Dani was. The thing that was holding her back was the idea of not telling the team of where she was going. The last time she went off without them knowing, she nearly died. Emily didn't want her team to go through the same nightmare again. That would be an awful thing to do to them.

But this man had her daughter.

From what she knows, this person has no limits. This person didn't care if Dani was a child. He would kill her either way. Emily wouldn't live with herself knowing she could have saved her.

She took a deep breath and answered.

"Tell me where she is. I will arrive there alone and no one will know about this."

"Good choice," he said. "Drive to Capitol street in South West DC. Leave your car at a parking garage that's located there. Then walk four blocks south. At the end of the street, you will see a small abandoned building. Enter through the back," he told her. "Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"And remember, I want no tricks with this, agent. You dare make a false move and I will make sure you find the kid dead."

"I will do everything you say. Just don't touch her," Emily said.

"That all depends on you. Time is ticking so it's best you hurry," he told the agent and hung up.

Emily stood up and placed her phone in her pocket. She felt slightly relieved knowing where Dani was. Now she just had to get there.

Emily knows that not telling the team where she is going can be very dangerous, but if she did Dani's life would be ended. She paced around her office, many thoughts clouding her mind. What should she do?

Emily made up her mind and decided not to tell the team. She wanted to leave the team clues so that by the time Emily arrives to see Dani, her team would be on their way to rescue them.

She walks out of her office with files on her hand and heads towards the rest of her team. Garcia was trying her best to find out where the signal of the video came from. Reid and Rossi were creating a geographical profile in order to have a rough location of where the unsub could be. JJ and Tara were going through Emily's past cases that they consider connected to Dani's kidnapping. Matt and Alvez were looking at security and traffic cameras, trying to identify the car the unsub was driving.

Emily walked in and handed the team files of possible unsubs. She instructed them to look through their family members' backgrounds in order to check the possibility of them wanting to avenge their family members. Even though Emily talked to the unsub personally, she didn't know who he was. Hopefully, her team finds out before Emily does.

She told the team she had to step out and talk to personal contacts who can help them with the case. They all nodded and she headed out. The team were all worried about how Emily was handling the situation. Emily was always a strong-willed agent. Never cracked when handling hard situations. But the rest of the agents know that the brunette never liked showing her sensitive side in front of others. She liked to keep her feelings to herself. But this situation was different.

They all know how much Emily loves Dani. Her eyes would always light up when talking about Dani. She would always talk about how proud she was of the teen for everything she did. She was never embarrassed by showing her love for Dani. Even though the agent has only had her for two years under her care, she loves her with all her life.

The team can only imagine how Emily was feeling right now. The feelings of fear and distress are definitely present in the agent's mind even though she doesn't show it. The parents in the team felt for the agent. They place themselves in Emily's shoes and wonder how they would react. JJ was under a similar situation years ago with Henry. She remembers being scared of the possibility of losing her Henry when the Queen of Hearts held him hostage. She could just imagine how heartbroken Emily was when she saw Dani getting hurt in front of her eyes.

There is nothing that hurts more than seeing your child hurt. Especially if you can't do anything to make them feel better.

The team focussed back on the case. They were all determined in getting Dani back. She was family in every team member's eyes. When Dani entered into their lives, the whole team welcomed her with the warmth of the family. Garcia received her with open arms as her goddaughter. Rossi was the wise uncle who always greeted her with warmth. Reid would always offer Dani help in anything she needed. He would especially get excited when the teen would start up conversations that Reid was an expert in. She would always listen attentively, amazed by how much the doctor knows. Tara and JJ were two loving aunts. Always there to support the teen. Matt and Alvez were the two cool uncles. They are always protective of the teen.

They refused to lose her under their watch.

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Emily had her foot firmly on the gas pedal. Her heart was racing as she was getting closer to her destination. Her mind was in many places at the same time. _Am I doing the right thing? Will Dani be okay? Is this a trap? _Many questions were clouding her mind. She knows there can be many different outcomes from this situation but she was determined in having the same result no matter what happens.

She wants Dani to be safe.

She arrived at the parking garage. It was located directly under a bridge. The garage itself was big, containing a wide space for many cars to park. It was dark and looked rather sketchy with graffiti and broken glass all over the place. She parked her SUV and got out of the car.

She locked the car and as told, she went four blocks south from the parking lot. She went running, not taking a moment to pause in order to catch a breath. She had to arrive as quickly as possible in order to save Dani.

Her body was full of adrenaline. The adrenaline that the agent wasn't going to take for granted.

She arrived at the building. It was a rundown apartment with wood planks covering all four windows. Emily heads towards the back of the building and sees a black door. She walks to the door and turns the rusty handle open. She steps inside the dark building, pulling out her gun and a flashlight and holds both of them. She walks cautiously, looking around for anyone who could be in the building.

"Dani?" She called out in hope of an answer. She didn't hear a response so she kept on walking.

Then the agent feels something pressing on her back.

"Don't move," said a male voice. Emily placed her hands up slowly and closed her eyes.

"Drop the gun or you will get a bullet straight to your head," the man said. Emily nods slowly and she drops her weapon. The man instantly pushes her against the wall, slamming her. He grabs both of her arms and takes her handcuffs from her pocket. He cuffs her hands on her back and pats her down in search of any weapons. He takes away anything that the agent was carrying. Wallet and phone. He drops the phone on the ground and stomps on it, breaking the phone instantly. He takes away the agent's pepper spray and a spare gun that was strapped to her ankle.

"Move," he said while grabbing the agent's arm. She reluctantly walked with him. He takes her into a dark room and pushes her to sit on a chair.

"Where is she?" Emily demanded.

"Calm down. She is here," the man said while walking across the room.

Emily tries to see his face but it is too dark. All she sees is his silhouette. "Who are you?"

"Oh, Emily. It's been a while since we last saw each other," he said while turning on the room's light. "I mean, the last time we saw each other was years ago."

Emily sees the man standing in front of her. He had a ski mask on, covering most of his face. He was wearing light blue jeans, a white shirt, and a navy blue jacket.

"Then tell me who you are," said the agent.

The man walks towards Emily and stands right in front of her. Emily looks directly at his eyes. His light blue eyes were staring at her. Something about his eyes caught Emily's attention. The pigment in his eyes looked very familiar. She has seen them before but she didn't know where.

"Nice to see you again, Emily," he said. He slowly took off the mask, revealing his face. "Or should I say, Lauren. After all, that is the name I knew you by."

The brunette's eyes went wide open once she realized who it was.

"Declan?" she said in disbelief.

"Oh, so you do remember me?" he said with a brow raised. "I must admit, I am pretty unforgettable," He said with a grin.

Emily studies his facial features. It was Declan alright. He still had a similar haircut that Emily last saw him with. His dark, blonde hair was covering part of his face. One thing that stuck out to the agent was the scar that he had on his left eyebrow. It looked like it was done with a sharp object, piercing through his skin, cutting through his brow. He looked older, no more than twenty years of age. He had similar features as his father. The shape of his eyes and facial structure resembled the one of Ian Doyle.

Especially his grin. His grin reminded the agent of the man who almost killed her.

"Declan, why are you doing this?" Emily asked him.

"I don't know why you are asking this question. You are smart. I'm sure you can figure it out."

"I thought you would be in college and-"

"Shut it!" Declan exclaimed. "Did you really think I would be prancing around and having a normal life? After everything that happened you still believe that?"

"You have a second chance. You are no longer under your father's influence," the agent told him. "You don't have to follow his steps."

"That is where you are wrong. I don't want to be a terrorist like the great Ian was. That isn't me," he said. "I just came here for one simple thing. Revenge."

"Revenge?" Emily asked with a brow raised. "Why? All I did was help you get out of that horrible life you had with your father."

"No! You didn't _help_! All you ever did was ruin my life!" Declan exclaimed. "You just came into my father's life in order to destroy it."

"Your father was a criminal. You don't know what he was capable of doing," Emily told him. "You were too young to understand."

"Shut up!" he exclaimed, giving her a slap. "Even though my father died, his empire never collapsed. He created a very loyal base of people that never backed out of his business. It took a while but they managed to find me. To give me everything that is mine to inherit."

He paused and looked at Emily with an angry expression.

"I know exactly what happened. You see, before my father died he left me a video explaining exactly what happened. He told me the trap you set him up back when you first met him. Working undercover, giving him a false sense of a romantic relationship in order to land him in prison. Not content with that you decide to fake my death as well as your own just to torture him," he pauses and shakes his head. "That is stooping low, Emily."

"Declan, there is more that happened that he didn't tell you," Emily said, trying to rationalize with him.

"After everything you have done, you expect me to believe you? All of this happened because of your lies!" he said, giving her a disgusted look. "You lied about everything. About Lauren, about me! Not only did you lie, you saw him dying and didn't do a single thing to help him!" He told the agent. His face was turning red with anger. "I saw him die in front of me and you didn't do a single thing."

"There was nothing for me to do-"

"Quiet! I don't want to hear no excuses from you!" Declan told her. He walks behind Emily and pulls her up. She stands up and feels the cold gun pointing on the back of her head. "My father loved me with all his heart. I remember him telling me that when I was smaller. He told me that in the video. You took away the one person who genuinely loved me," he told her.

"You have to understand, I did it for your own good. So you could have a normal life. I did it for you," Emily explained.

"No! You didn't have any right to decide my life with my father. You did it for yourself because you are a selfish bitch. You knew that my disappearance was the key to my father's suffering. You used that for your advantage in order to save your own skin, not mine" he replied with anger. He presses the gun against Emily. "Unlike you, I am not a liar. Let's go see the kid. After all, it will be the last time you say hi to her."

Emily felt her body shudder to hear those words.

Declan took Emily to the end of the hallway where there was a set of stairs leading down to a cellar. They descend down the stairs. When Emily arrives at the last step, Declan pulls her back, causing her to fall on the floor, face first. She turns around, groaning in pain and looks at him.

"Wait," he ordered. He took out a rope from his pocket and tied her feet together. He made sure it was tight so that way the agent wouldn't escape. He drags Emily back up and leads her to the back where Dani was.

Dani was still strapped in the chair with her head down. Her head shot up when she heard footsteps approaching. Her eyes widened when she noticed who it was. "Emily?" she said while seeing the brunette being held by the kidnapper.

Emily looks up at Dani, feeling a wave of joy when she hears her speak. She immediately tried to run towards her but she was being held by Declan who refused her to step any closer to Dani.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked with worried eyes. Emily saw all the cuts Dani had on her arms. They looked like they stopped bleeding for the most part but it was enough to make the agent's stomach twinge.

"Yeah," Dani said with a nod. Normally she would have been relieved to see Emily but she didn't expect her to arrive all tied up. That was not the plan Dani had in mind.

Declan pushes Emily to the floor. Emily stumbles and falls to the ground. He ties up her legs to the same pole Dani was before. He stands up and looks at her. "I will leave you two in order for you guys to chat for a while. Don't get too comfortable without me," he said with a smirk and left.

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Emily looks at Declan exiting the cellar. She couldn't believe it was him. The same little boy who she had met undercover during her operation to detain Doyle. The kid who she had sworn to protect. Now he is all grown up wanting to avenge his father.

She tried keeping tabs on him but eventually, she was told that his files had to be strictly reserved to witness protection. She didn't completely agree with this measure but accepted it as a form of caution. From what she had known, Declan was sent with a nice family in Washington state and was doing well at school, living a seemingly normal life.

That is what she had thought.

She wants to know how Doyle managed to keep tabs on him. Even after his death, Ian managed to get to him. That was the part that made Emily feel defeated. She did everything she could in order to get Declan away from his father. That was her end goal. To let Declan have a normal life without the influence of a terrorist. She had thought she had won the war against Doyle. After all, he was dead. Now she knows that he was two steps ahead of her, managing to get a hold of Declan. He filled his brain with lies and hate in order to get what Doyle always wanted. To hurt Emily.

**Did you guys guess who it was? The one and only Declan Doyle. When I wrote this a while back, I was debating whether it should be Declan or David, two kids in which Emily interacted with in the past and kept tabs on. In the end, I decided for it to be Declan. A child that was planted a seed of hate and vengeance.**

**So, how do you think this will all end?**


	29. Hostage With The Hostage

**Hey guys! New chapter for you all to read. I hope all of you are safe and well. You all know the drill. The next chapter will be posted next Tuesday. I uhh, I have nothing else to say.**

**Anyways, Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 29**

"Emily, what are you doing here?" asked Dani with a confused face.

Emily looks up to the girl. "I came here to save you," she stated.

"Look, I don't want to offend you or anything but I always thought the person who saves the day in a situation like this is the one who is not held hostage with the hostage," she said. "That is just two negatives."

"Two negatives make a positive," Emily said, trying to lighten the mood.

"This isn't the best time to give math lessons," Dani said, narrowing her eyes. She suddenly realizes something. "Wait, if you are here then that means the rest of the team knows where we are, right?" she said with a hopeful expression.

Emily looks down at the floor. She knows she was about to disappoint the teen with her response. "I came here alone without them knowing in order to make sure that you weren't hurt."

"What? What do you mean they don't know?" asked the teen with a mix of confusion and anger.

"It was a deal I made with him," Emily told her. "Listen, I know it doesn't sound good but I promise you they will find us."

"And how the hell are they gonna do that?" asked the teen with a frown. "Damn it!" she uttered out while putting her head down in defeat.

"Hey, look at me," said the agent, trying to meet with the girl's gaze. Dani lifted her head slowly, her pure hazel eyes meeting Emily's dark brown ones. "I know we are not in the best position right now but I need you to have hope," she said, trying to lift the teen's spirit up.

Dani looked at Emily and let out a sigh. "Alright," she said with a nod.

"Thank you," Emily said. "Did he tell you anything? Something that can get us out of here?"

"Not really. He just told me he was doing all this to get revenge on someone," said the teen. "He also said after this is all over we were going out for pizza," she said with a sarcastic tone.

"Seriously," Emily said with an unimpressed look.

"Sorry. I'm just hungry," Dani said, raising her shoulders.

The agent was impressed with how well Dani was managing the situation. She didn't look scared or anything of that sort. She did look a little tense but would crack jokes in order to keep her calm. "I promise I will take you to eat wherever you want once we get out of here," Emily said.

Dan looks at Emily and lets out a small chuckle but abruptly stopped when she felt pain on the cut she had on her eyebrow. Her face wrinkled in discomfort. This didn't go unnoticed by the profiler.

"Does it still hurt?" Emily asked with worry. She sees Dani's cut. It looked very deep. She had dry blood on part of her face. The agent knew that the cut was going to need stitches in order for it to heal. Emily wants to desperately heal the teen's wounds and make her pain go away.

"Just a little," Dani said. She didn't want to worry Emily more than she already was. "It stopped bleeding a while ago. It's better now." She gave Emily a small smile, trying to prove her point that she was okay.

"Try not to move much," the brunette told her.

Dani nodded slowly. She looked down at the floor, staring at her feet. She knows Emily wants her to have hope but the teen knows that hope alone won't help her get out of the situation. She knows what the man wants from her. He wants to kill her. She doesn't want to feel pessimistic. It's just the reality hitting her.

"Em, if things don't end right I need you to know some things," Dani said, still staring at the floor.

"Dani, don't say that. I-"

"I know you want me to have hope. Trust me, I am. It's not that I'm being pessimistic. I'm just being realistic," Dani said, looking at Emily. "The reason why I got in a fight at school wasn't because that girl was talking crap about me. She was talking bad about my brother. She was saying how it was my fault that he died and that he probably deserved it," she paused, taking a breath. "I know fighting wasn't the best choice. I just got angry and reacted without thinking."

"Honey, why didn't you tell me this?" Emily asked the teen in a soft voice.

"I don't know. I guess I thought you wouldn't have believed me."

"Dan, I would have believed you. You have to understand that."

"I know. I just wasn't thinking straight," Dani said. "I don't want you to see me as an asshole who beats up people for no reason."

"Dani, I don't see you like that," Emily said. "I had a good feeling that you weren't telling me the whole truth. I know you wouldn't get in a fight for any reason. You are better than that. I see you as a loving person who would do anything in order to defend everyone you love."

Dani gives her a weary smile. "Thanks," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "About the drugs-"

"They aren't yours. A boy planted them in your folder while you were fighting. I think his name is Max," Emily said.

"Max? That son of a bitch," Dani said while shaking her head. "I apologize for my language. I just had a feeling he was also involved in this."

"I told the principal about his involvement. He promised that Max will receive the punishment that he deserves," Emily told Dani. Dani nods, feeling a slight relief in knowing that Emily knows the whole truth.

They hear footsteps walking towards them. Dani sits up while Emily moves her back against the wall.

Declan was the one descending down the stairs.

"Let me talk to him," Emily said in a whisper. Dani nodded, trusting her in what she was doing.

Declan steps inside, walking towards both of them. "I see you both caught up with each other," he said. "That's good. So, Emily. Did you tell the kid why she will be dying today?"

"Declan, just let her go," Emily said.

"Wait, you know who this guy is?" Dani asked with a brow raised.

Declan turned his head towards the teen and snickered. "So she didn't tell you?" He said. Dani just looked at him. "That is very typical of her. Always telling others all her lies, refusing to blow her cover. Even at the face of death," he turns back and walks towards Emily. "Do you mind telling the kid your little history, agent? Because if you don't I will but trust me when I say you won't like the way I say the story."

Emily looks at Dani who is sitting with a confused face. She looks back up to Declan who is staring at her with a frown. "Go on. Say it!" He said.

Emily looks at the teen. Emily never mentioned her job as an undercover agent working for Interpol. She never told her about Ian and how she had to fake her death. When Dani came into her life, Emily wanted to start a new chapter in her life. She wanted to bury the past, never wanting to look back at the mess she was involved with Ian. She knows the story is too long to unravel.

"Years before I met you, I worked as an undercover agent in order to take down a terrorist leader. This man, he was very dangerous, a serial killer who would do unspeakable things to anyone who came in his way. I… I had to get close to him in order to apprehend him. In order to save a child," she said, looking at Declan.

"Shut up!" He yelled, slapping her hard across her face. Emily stumbles but quickly regains her composure. "None of that is true! You know that!"

"What Ian told you was a lie. He-"

"Silence!" He exclaimed. He looks at Dani and walks towards her. Dani just looks at him, wondering what he was going to do. "I will tell you what happened. This lady did everything she could for power. She didn't just go undercover. No. She did more than that. She slept with the man who she was supposed to apprehend. Made him suffer from countless lies. Not satisfied with that, she saw him die doing absolutely nothing to help him! She destroyed his life as well as mine."

Dani glances at Emily. She was confused about what she was hearing. Emily never told her anything about her being an undercover agent. She had always thought she worked with the BAU for most of her career. Dani had always felt that Emily was always open to her about her past. Dani herself trusted Emily enough to start sharing her own. Now she sees that this wasn't the case.

Emily wasn't being completely honest with her. Now Dani is questioning everything that Emily has told her.

"You know, Emily. I thought you would have remembered this story by heart," Declan said. He reaches inside the pocket of his jacket and takes out a silver object. The object was a steel brass knuckles. He slowly puts on the steel knuckles on his right hand. "Hopefully this will jog up your memories."

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"She's gone," said Tara while bursting inside the office.

"What do you mean she's gone?" asked Matt.

"I looked for her in her office and she wasn't there. I assumed she went to the bathroom but no one was at the stalls."

"Maybe she went to another part of the building," said Alvez, trying to calm Tara down.

"Garcia, can you check security footage of the building to see where Emily is?" Asked Rossi.

"Sure," Garcia said while typing on her laptop. She looks at all the camera footage but doesn't see a sign of Emily. "Guys, I think Tara is right," she said with a troubled voice.

The team all head to the laptop in order to help Garcia find Emily. They quickly came to the same conclusion.

"I don't get it. Why would she leave?" Asked Matt with his arms crossed against his chest.

"I think I have an idea why," said Rossi. "Garcia, now check Emily's phone location."

Garcia quickly typed down Emily's information. Her fingers were clicking on the keyboard as fast as she could. "The last known location was thirty minutes ago. It's in this public parking place located in South West DC."

"Just as I thought. She went to go find Dani," Rossi said. "Send us the location. We need to get there quickly."

The rest of the team quickly get their stuff and head out of the office. They all rushed down to the parking lot and all got in their respective SUVs. They quickly pressed on the accelerator and were on their way to the parking lot.

Rossi was driving while JJ and Reid were in the passenger seat. They were all very anxious to arrive.

"I can't believe she did this again," Reid said in a low volume. JJ and Rossi glanced at him. Both of them knew what he meant. "Why would she leave without telling us? Doesn't she know how dangerous it could be?" Spencer was mad at the fact that Emily didn't tell the team where she was going. He recalls the last time she left without them knowing. Emily ended up in the hospital and was declared dead.

"Knowing her, she probably weighed this out," Rossi said with his eyes on the road. "The unsub probably contacted her saying that Dani would be in great danger if she didn't come alone."

"She wanted us to find her. She brought her phone with her knowing Garcia can easily track her down. If she wouldn't want us involved, she would have made sure no one would be able to locate her," JJ said while looking at Spencer. She also didn't agree with what Emily did. She couldn't bear the possibility of losing two people she really cares about.

"She relies on us to find them and we will," said Rossi.

The team arrives at the parking lot. They see Emily's car parked, confirming she was there. Now the team had to know where she went.

"Any known abandoned buildings around here?" Alvez asked Garcia.

"In a few blocks south from the parking lot there are a few buildings that are not in use for years," Garcia said.

The team went to the area where Garcia told them. There were about seven buildings that were shut down. These were all possible areas where Emily and Dani could be. The team split up into two groups. JJ, Alvez, and Tara went to the east side of the buildings while Rossi, Reid, and Matt took the west side. They all knew they had to clear out every building until they found where they were being held. They start their search, determined to find them.


	30. All Because Of You

**Hey guys! New chapter today! 30 chapters, that is something. I really appreciate all the attention of the last chapter received. I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I welcome all feedback, questions, and comments for this story. Your comments help me know whether to continue with this story arc. See you next Tuesday for more. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 30**

Declan clenches his hands into a fist, firmly gripping the steel knuckles tightly. He throws a punch at Dani's jaw, making her head fall back.

"No! Stop! You don't have to do this!" Emily begged. She was fighting against the ropes with all her force, pulling in hopes of the ropes going loose.

"Shut it!" Declan exclaimed.

Dani moved her jaw slowly, feeling the pain and tasting a similar taste of blood. She lifts her gaze to Emily. "Estoy Bien," she told her with a shaky voice. Emily looks at her and immediately feels distressed, having the urgent need in stopping Declan.

"Declan, she did nothing wrong. Let her go! I'm the one you want, not her," the agent told him. "I'm the one you want to harm."

"That was the original plan," he told her. "But when I noticed you took in a kid I just couldn't resist the temptation. You are the one who brought her into this," he said while pointing at Emily. He looks back at Dani, lifting her chin up. "You were better off a stray in the streets."

Dani looks at him with an angered expression. It wasn't the first time someone referred to her as a stray. It belittles and demeans her in every aspect. She hated that word with a passion and she was sure as hell she wasn't going to allow anyone to call her that. She spits out blood directly to his face. "Go fuck yourself," Dani mumbled. Declan quickly backs up and wipes his face while staring at Dani. She felt the full force of his punch landing on her stomach, making her groan in pain.

"Please stop! Just stop!" The agent implored.

Declan turns his head around and looks at Emily. "You failed, Emily. Ian won the bet and now you have to pay it," Declan said in a cold tone.

He turns his attention back to Dani and punches her again at her abdomen. Dani feels the strong impact but the only thing she does is clench her jaw as hard as she can. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her agonizing in pain. Declan throws three more punches in the same area. He then throws a swing at Dani's shoulder, letting out a maniacal laughter. Dani felt her body throbbing in pain. She was breathing heavily, trying to handle the immense pain she was feeling. She didn't say anything, not a sound came out of her mouth.

Opposite from Emily, who was crying out, pleading for Declan to stop. "Stop! Direct your anger towards me! I'm the one you want to hurt!" The agent said with teary eyes. Her chest was burning but she was trying everything she could in order to not break down. Every punch Dani received would shatter her heart to pieces.

Declan looked at Emily and smirked. "That is exactly what I'm doing. Hurting you through her," he said. He strikes Dani with a final punch, landing at her chest. This punch knocked the air out of Dani, making her gasp for air. She starts to cough, feeling a sting in her rib cage. She whimpers, wanting the torture to end.

"Please stop!" Emily said in a sob. She couldn't control her feelings anymore. Watching her daughter getting hurt made her feel an extreme agony which she couldn't handle. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Is that you got?" Dani said with a shaky breath, looking at Declan with narrow eyes. "I expected something more interesting," she said while trying her best to keep her head up.

Declan looks at the teen and raises his brow in surprise. "You. You are more stubborn than I could have imagined," Declan said with a smirk. "You are either very stupid or brave. Strong-willed and determined. It's a damn shame your life had to be cut off so soon. You would have gone far in life."

"Leave her alone," Emily demanded. "She has been through too much already."

"You heard her. She is fine." Declan said while walking towards Emily. He crouched down eye-level at par with Emily. "You should worry about yourself, Emily," he said while taking out a gun that was tucked in his pants. He points the gun at her head. "Because I will make sure your death will be a painful one."

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The team had searched in four buildings. They had no luck in finding them.

"What if we don't find them," Reid said with worried eyes. Each funeral he went took a toll on him. He already buried Emily once. He didn't want to do it again, especially with Dani.

"Don't worry kid. We will find them even if it's the last thing we do," Rossi told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

They were clearing out the third building, checking out each floor for any sign of them. They didn't find anything. They just hoped the other group had more luck.

Tara, JJ, and Alvez were all stepping out of the second building, feeling slightly defeated knowing that they still haven't found them.

JJ was especially worried about this. She was scared of losing two very close people that she loved. Emily was her best friend and JJ loved Dani with all her heart. Knowing that both of them are in danger makes it a very difficult task.

She was scared of finding them too late.

Just then she received a call from Garcia. She answers and places her phone on speaker so that the rest of the group can hear.

"You're on speaker, Garcia," said the blonde agent.

"Okay, so after a few mental breakdowns on trying to track the location Emily received the call from, I finally pinpointed out the exact location of where the call was made. I sent the location to you all right now," said the tech analyst.

"Thank you," JJ said and hung up.

Alvez checks his phone and reads the location. "It's the building at the end of the street," he said.

"We will head out there first since we are closer," said JJ. "The rest of the team will catch up."

The three agents run down to the end of the street. They were all committed to saving them.

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Declan was holding the gun firmly, pointing at Emily. Emily glances at Dani, seeing her eyes filled with fear. She has never seen that level of fear reflected on Dani's eyes. A wave of guilt hits the agent knowing that the child will be scarred both physically and emotionally.

She then refocused her attention on Declan. Emily just stares at him with narrow eyes. Her heart rate was racing with anxiety but she wanted to look brave for Dani. Emily knew if she cracked, Dani would too.

"You know, agent. I think killing you right now wouldn't give me that much of a satisfaction," he said with a malicious grin. He lowers the gun down, no longer pointing at her. "Killing the kid sounds like a better option."

"No! Take me! I'm the one you want dead!" The brunette implored, using all her force to fight against the ropes she was tied up with. "Let her go!"

Declan kicks Emily at her stomach with a force which makes her groan in pain.

Declan walks standing next to Dani. He points the gun on the side of her head. All of his intention right now was to kill her.

Dani lifts her head up in a slow manner. She tilts her head, seeing the gun pointing directly at her. She feels the cold gun pointing at her. She stares at Declan showing no type of emotion.

"You see what you cause, Agent? This girl is going to die and it's all your fault. I guess it's in your second nature to ruin the lives of children," he said while looking at Emily. He pulls up his sleeve from his arm that is holding the gun, revealing a four clover tattoo. The same tattoo that Ian made a symbol of. "This tattoo represents everything my father built. It represents his power. You should have respected it," he stated while clenching the gun.

"Don't do this! She is just a kid!" Emily cried out.

"No. She isn't just a kid. This girl is something else," he told her. "Look at her. She is facing death itself and she doesn't flinch one bit. Any other kid would be begging for their life. She never fails to impress me."

"Please! Just leave her alone!" The agent begged. "You said it yourself, I am the one who ruined your life! Not her!"

"You dragged her into this mess, not me! If you would have minded your own business, none of this would have happened!" He said with full-blown anger. "You should have left my father alone. He did nothing wrong to you. In fact, he loved you, or at least he loved Lauren Reynolds. That was his mistake, letting his guard down. All because of you."

"He was a dangerous man! He did many horrible things throughout his life. He took away countless lives," she told him. "You are just trying to deny the truth."

"I am not denying shit! You are trying to wipe the dirt out of your hands because you know what I am saying is true," he said to her. Dani was attentively listening while staring at Declan's hand where he was holding the gun. She knew she had to keep him distracted long enough in order to avoid him pulling the trigger. In order to do this she had to know why he was doing this. "You took away my father. The only relative I had left in this world. All because of you," Declan said while biting his words. He directs the gun towards Emily, aiming directly at her.

Emily stares at him while he is pointing the gun at her. It isn't the first time she has had a gun aimed at her but this case was way different. She had her daughter with her. She knows how horrible the scene would look like if Declan pulled the trigger. She sees all the anger and hate Declan has towards her. Was it true? Did Emily really really destroy a young boy's life? She starts to question how she handled everything when it came to Doyle. Maybe her actions were selfish after all?

Dani looks at the scene and starts to panic._ Shit!_ She thought to herself. She had to think of something and she had to think of something quick. Then something came to mind.

"You are right," the teen told Declan while looking at him. She tried her best in talking without a shaky voice. The fear mixed with the pain she was feeling made it hard to talk normally but she managed to sound convincing enough that she was confident. "Your life was all ruined because of her. She had no right in deciding what was best for you. If she really cared she would have left you with your father," she told him. "Every kid has a right to stay with their parents. No one else should determine that except them."

Declan looks at Dani and frowns. "How the hell would you know about this?" He questioned her.

"Well I guess since I know your story you should know mine. It is only fair," Dani replied. "I also had a pretty fucked up childhood. Hell, I'm technically still a child. After I lost my brother in a drive-by shooting, I only had my mom left. She was the only person in the whole world left for me. I loved her with all my heart but that didn't matter to CPS. They didn't give two shits about who I cared about. They decided to take me away from her. They never cared about what I wanted, only what they thought to be the best thing to do. Thanks to them I couldn't be with the person I loved the most. And now she is gone," Dani told him, sounding a bit hurt. She glanced at Emily who looked at her with sorry eyes. Dani bites her lip and looks back at Declan. "That's why I know what you feel. Our lives were ruined because of adults who think they know better."

"My father was the only person who I had left," Declan said while lowering the gun.

"And so was my mother," Dani told him, hoping he would lower the gun all the way. "That is why I understand your pain. It hurts… it hurts like a bitch knowing the person you love is gone."

"If you know how it feels then you know why I want to kill her," Declan told her. He raises the gun back up and points at Emily.

"Wait! Don't do that!" Dani exclaimed with her eyes wide open." Her plan wasn't working and she was running out of time. "You said it yourself, you want to make her suffer as much as possible. You will not accomplish that if you kill her right now."

"You are right about that," Declan said with a nod. "The only way to make her truly suffer is if I kill you first," he said while shifting the gun at the girl.

"No! Declan Don't do this!" Emily cried out.

"I saw my father die in front of me without being able to do anything to help him. I think it's fair to return the favor," Declan said.

"Don't!" Emily cried with tears streaming down her face.

Dani looked up at Emily one last time and managed to give her a small smile. She then closed her eyes and clenched her jaw when hearing the gun click.

"FBI! Don't move!"

Dani recognized the male voice. She opened her eyes and saw Luke, JJ, and Tara standing a few feet away from her. All three of them pointing their guns at Declan.

Emily has never felt so relieved when seeing her team arrive. She knew they were going to find them in order to free them. Part of her wanted to smile at all the joy she was feeling when seeing them.

But Declan still had Dani.

Declan takes a small step closer to Dani.

"You move one more inch and I swear I will blow your head off," Luke snapped, aiming his gun at Declan's head.

"Drop the gun now!" JJ states.

Declan glances at Emily. "Don't think you have won this, Emily," he told her.

"Drop it! You dare try anything else and you won't see what hit you!" Luke said while holding his gun with a firm grip.

"I think I'll take my chances," Declan said with a smirk. He looks at Dani and clenches his hand.

_**Pow!**_


	31. It's All Over

**Hello fellow humans. The new chapter posted today. Nice. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday just like always. Don't forget to leave comments about the story so far. Any questions or comments are welcomed openly. You all help me better write my story with your opinions and suggestions. Anyways, where did we left off last time?**

**Ahh yes, a cliff hanger.**

**Chapter 31**

_**Pow!**_

Aghh!" Declan yelled, dropping the gun.

Emily looks at the back and sees Rossi, Reid, and Matt standing there. They arrived through a hidden door that was located at the back of the cellar. They did the best they could in order to bring minimal attention towards them, enabling them to arrive and surprise Declan. This allowed Rossi to take a clear shot, aiming at the hand in which Declan was holding the gun.

Alvez and Matt ran towards Declan, forcing him to his knees. They checked if he had any weapons on him and handcuffed him.

Dani was in shock, her mind was unable to comprehend what happened. Everything went too fast. The events went from her taking her final breath and now all of a sudden she is saved. The tension and actions escalated too quickly that her mind couldn't wrap around what happened. _Is everything over? Am I safe? _She asked herself.

She jumps up when she sees JJ approach her, startled from her thoughts.

"It's okay, Dani. It's just me," JJ said, reassuring the teen. JJ takes out a pocket knife from her pocket. Dani immediately clenched her fist. It was an involuntary movement of fear. "I'm just going to use this in order to cut the straps up. I promise I won't hurt you," the blonde agent said while placing her hand on top of Dani's.

Dani nodded, feeling embarrassed at her reaction towards JJ. She knew JJ would never hurt her. She was just very jittery about her surroundings.

While JJ was helping Dani out of the chair, Tara was untying Emily out of the ropes. Once she finished untying the last rope, she offered a helping hand to the agent in order to get her up. Emily accepted the help and got on her feet, feeling weak and shaky.

"Thank you," the brunette whispered at Tara. Tara nodded and offered a small smile.

Emily looked up at Dani. She was sitting on the chair while JJ was talking to her in a soft voice. Dani looked disoriented, looking around the place with a confused expression.

Emily ignored the weakness that her body felt and ran towards Dani. She went in front of the teen and immediately reached out to hug her. Dani stiffened up at first when Emily first approached her, caught off guard by the agent but she slowly loosened up while feeling the brunette's embrace. JJ stepped away slowly, giving them privacy. Watching two very strong people that she cared about break down was painful to see.

"Is it over?" Asked Dani, her voice hardly above a whisper.

Emily planted a kiss on the top of Dani's head. She let's go and runs her palm on the girl's cheek. "It's over, baby. No one can hurt you," she told the teen with teary eyes.

Dani looks at the agent's eyes, wondering if what she said is true. She quickly hugs Emily, wrapping her arms around Emily's neck. The agent feels the teen trembling and her heart broke. With tears in her eyes, she holds the teen tight, refusing to let go of her.

"You're safe. It's all over," Emily cooed. "Todo está bien."

Dani buried her face on the crook of the brunette's neck. Her body was shaking frantically, adrenaline coursing through her. She wanted to calm herself down, not wanting to show how scared she was feeling. The warmth from Emily's embrace helped her calm down. Her hug was a shelter to protect her from her fears. She knew that no one was going to hurt her now.

She was safe.

Dani let go of Emily and slowly pulled out from her embrace.

"Can we get out of here?" She asked Emily with a shaky voice.

"Absolutely," Emily said while trying to blink her tears away. She placed a kiss on the side of Dani's cheek and stood up. Dani tried to stand up but her legs were too shaky. She immediately stumbled back down on the chair. Emily noticed this and rushed towards the teen, afraid she injured herself more than she already is.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked while checking on the teen for any more injuries.

"Yeah. I just feel weak," Dani replied.

"Paramedics should be here shortly. They should be able to escort you out," Emily said while holding Dani's hand. Dani nodded in response.

Alvez and Matt escort Declan out of the building with his hands cuffed behind his back. His head was low and refused to look up. They walked out of the cellar, keeping him in police custody.

JJ and Reid walked towards Emily and Dani. "Paramedics will be here in a few minutes," Reid stated.

Emily nodded and looked up at Dani. The teen looked really tired and in pain. Emily hoped that the medics would arrive soon for Dani's sake.

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Shortly after, paramedics arrived at the scene. They went downstairs at the cellar where Dani was sitting with Emily. They help her get up and place her on a stretcher with Emily never leaving the teen's side. Dani slowly lies down on the stretcher, feeling her body sore. Emily stands next to her and holds the teen's hand, refusing to let go. Dani could tell that the brunette was worried and afraid. She has never seen the agent with fear in her eyes. She always saw her as a strong and unbreakable person. Dani has always admired that about her. Now she realizes that even the toughest people have a breaking point.

"I will be alright," Dani said while squeezing Emily's hand. "Don't worry, okay? It's just a few bruises. I'm okay," she said with a weary smile.

Emily looks at Dani and returns a small smile. "I know, honey. You are a very strong person," she told her.

They arrive at the ambulance and the paramedics take Dani inside the ambulance with Emily right beside her. JJ arrives at the ambulance and looks at Emily.

"We will be right behind you," she told the brunette. Emily nods with a small smile. She is extremely grateful to her team. They were the ones who had rescued them. She owes them her life.

The door of the ambulance closes and they head off to the hospital. The paramedics were checking on the teen's body temperature and heart rate. They were also attending the wounds she had on her arms, disinfecting the cuts so that they wouldn't be infected. Asking the teen questions of how she was feeling and where exactly did her body hurt the most. Dani tried her best in answering most questions but the medics were asking too fast for her liking. They also asked Emily if she had gotten hurt in order to attend her. The agent told them that she was fine, not wanting them to unattend Dani.

The medics were hooking up Dani with different wires and poking her. Dani felt a wave of tiredness with her eyelids feeling heavy and her head was foggy. She turned her head slightly and looked up at Emily who was still holding her hand with a firm grip. The agent had a few tears streaming down her face. She tried her best not to cry but the fear and pain that she was feeling were stronger than her will. Dani squeezed the agent's hand. Emily looked at the teen's eyes and tried to blink her tears away. Dani managed to give her a small smile in order to assure her that she was okay.

They all arrive at the hospital and immediately take Dani to the ER. Emily was walking next to Dani, still holding the teen's hand. She didn't want to let go. It was her only way to assure that Dani was safe.

Three nurses arrived and asked the paramedics about the situation. While two of the nurses were talking to the medics, a young nurse approached Emily.

"Mam, we will take her inside and help her," she said calmly. "You can just sit here in the waiting area while we take her."

"No. I need to stay with her," the agent said firmly.

"Em, I will be fine," Dani said in a weak tone, trying to convince her. Emily looks at the teen and hesitantly lets go of her hand. She smoothes the teen's face and leans forward, planting a kiss on her temple.

"I will be right here, okay," she told Dani. Dani nods and waves goodbye as the nurses take her inside. Emily stayed in the waiting room, hoping to see her daughter soon.


	32. At The Hospital

**Hey guys! I honestly can't believe we are in mid-July. I. still can't process the month of March. Since it is mid-summer it is scorching hot outside. Each time I step out I feel like I'm melting. I can't wait until the sweater weather. That is my favorite time of the year. Anyways, new chapter today. Welp, our protagonist is still alive so the show must go on. Remember to leave a comment on what you think so far. Bye.**

Chapter 32

Emily was pacing around the waiting room, hoping to hear any news about Dani. She hears the elevator door ring open and sees her team walking out the elevator looking rather anxious. JJ spots Emily and walks towards her with the rest of the team behind her.

"Hey. How is Dani doing?" asked the blonde agent.

"She is inside. I'm not really sure what is happening. They haven't told me anything." Emily answered.

JJ nodded and placed a hand on Emily's shoulder. "How about you go sit down and try to relax," JJ said while gesturing her hand at a chair.

"JJ, I don't think I can get close to a relaxed state," Emily told her.

"You need to try," Tara told the brunette. "Matt and I will go ask about Dani. You sit here with the rest."

Emily looked up at the rest of her team and she knew she couldn't win this argument. She hesitantly sat down while Matt and Tara went to the front desk. The rest of the team sit around Emily. Rossi and JJ sat next to the brunette. She is visibly anxious with her foot jumping up and down while she was picking her nails.

"I'm sorry I left without telling you all," she told her team. "It was an impulse action that placed lives in danger. You guys didn't deserve that."

"We will admit, you almost gave us a heart attack. With my age, that isn't really good," Rossi said while slightly chuckling. "But we know why you did it. It was to save Dani."

"I'm pretty sure if any of us were in a similar situation we would have reacted the same way," JJ said. "I would have done the exact same thing if someone were to have my kids hostage."

Just after she finishes her sentence, Matt and Tara walk towards the group with a male doctor behind him. He was around his mid-forties with grey hair and black glasses. He was holding a clipboard on one hand while walking towards the group. The two agents sit down while the doctor begins to speak.

"Family of Daniela Hernandez?" he asked.

Emily stands up quickly and looks at the doctor. "I'm her mother. How is she?" She asked anxiously.

"She is doing rather well. Her health condition is stabilized and her heart rate is back to normal," he told the agent. She and the rest of the team let out a relieved sigh. "However, she did suffer from rather serious injuries. The cut that she had on her brow was a very deep cut. She had to receive five stitches on the wound. It will heal eventually but it will most likely leave a permanent scar. She also has a broken rib after receiving a strong hit."

Emily felt downhearted after hearing what the doctor told her. Hearing that her daughter was hurt made her heart crack into pieces. Guilt washed over the brunette. She failed in protecting Dani. This error could have cost her daughter's life.

"Can I go see her?" Emily asked.

"Yes. She is at the end of the hallway resting," the doctor said. He looks at the rest of the team who were attentively listening to the conversation. "I think it would be best if you all wait until tomorrow to visit her. Right now she will need lots of rest."

The team nods in agreement and stands up. Rossi walks up towards Emily and looks at her. "We will come back tomorrow to check up on you and the kid. Anything you need, do not hesitate to call us, okay?"

"Will do. Thank you. All of you," she told her team. They all said their goodbyes and Emily made her way to the room where Dani was in. She reaches the end of the hallway and looks to her left where she sees Dani's room. She opens the door anxiously waiting to see her daughter again. She walks inside and sees Dani lying down on the hospital bed with the IV stand next to her. She walks in, cautiously, not wanting to disrupt the teen while she is resting. Emily hears the heart rate monitor beeping at a normal pace. Dani looks up and sees Emily standing at the end of her bed. She meets the brunette's eyes and greets her with a weak smile.

"Hey, Em."

"Hey, honey," Emily said while walking towards Dani, standing on the side of the bed. She smoothes Dani's hair gently, not wanting to hurt her. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

"I'm alright. I just feel a little tired," Dani responded. Emily looks at the stitches Dani had going through her eyebrow. The agent cringed internally knowing that once the drugs wore off, Dani would feel a stinging discomfort. Her eyes begin to feel watery with tears.

"Dani, I am so sorry this happened. If I would have known-"

"Hey, don't do that. Don't blame yourself," Dani said. She reaches for Emily's hand and holds it. "I will be honest, I am confused about what happened but you don't have to explain yourself now. I'm just glad it's all over."

Emily bends down and kisses Dani's temple. "Me too. You were very brave. Way more than I was."

"Sit down, Em. I know you are tired," Dani told Emily as she pointed to a chair at the back of the wall. "You make me feel nervous when you are standing," she said with a chuckle. Emily pulls the chair so that she is sitting next to Dani, holding her hand.

"Do you need anything?" She asked while rubbing small circles on Dani's hand.

"No. I'm fine." She replied. Just then a nurse walks in the room. She greets both Dani and Emily and takes out an IV bag from a cabinet.

"I see that the first bag is almost empty. I will replace it with a new one. This will help you keep hydrated," she said with a warm smile. Dani nods as she watches the nurse change the bag. After the nurse was done, she adjusted the needle that was on Dani's arm. Dani looked at the needle that was poking through her skin which made her wince.

"God, I hate needles," she murmured with a frown.

Emily looks at the teen and gives her a comforting smile. Emily had a good idea of why Dani wasn't fond of needles. Dani's mother had a dark history with them. It's no wonder why the teen didn't feel comfortable around them.

After finishing setting up the IV, the nurse left the room. The teen was tired and tried her hardest to keep her eyes open. Her eyes were darting all over the room, making sure no one was there to hurt her or Emily.

But she was too tired.

This didn't go unnoticed by the profiler. Emily saw how alert and tired the teen was. She knew it was important for Dani to rest but the only way she would do that is if Emily convinced her that she was safe.

"Honey, why don't you take a nap, okay?" She said while pushing a string of hair from Dani's face. "I promise I will stay here the whole time. I just need you to rest."

Dani looked at Emily and wanted to protest but she was too worn out. "Okay," she whispered.

Emily was running her fingers softly through Dani's hair while she watched Dani drift to sleep. Once she saw the teen's eyes flutter shut, she slowly pressed her lips on Dani's cheek.

She looks at the state Dani was in. Cuts and bruises all over her, not counting the ones that were not visible to her. Her child was hurt. She was hurt right in front of her and Emily couldn't do anything to stop her. She realized that she has failed to protect her as an agent and as a mom.

"Im sorry," she whispered with tears streaming down her face. "Lo Siento."

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Hours passed by and Emily was watching Dani as she slept. Emily managed to sleep for a few hours but wanted to be awake in order to take care of Dani. Emily felt more relaxed but was still jittery when it came to abrupt sounds or movements. She then felt her phone vibrate. She pulled out her phone and saw the time. About a quarter till 11. She read a message from Garcia.

Garcia: Good morning, Em. The team and I will be arriving at the hospital in about 20 min. Take care :)

Emily smiles when reading the text. She responded to the text with an okay.

Emily was forever grateful for her team. They helped in saving her and her daughter. This team was very special in the agent's heart compared to other places she had been. The BAU was more than just a branch in the FBI. It was a family connected with an unbreakable bond of love and friendship. Something that Emily never had before. Emily would do anything for her team and she knows that they will too.

She then sees Dani starting to move her fingers.

"Dani?," Emily asked while placing her palm on Dani's cheek. She sees how Dani slowly opens her eyes. Dani looks up at Emily and meets her gaze.

"Emily?" She asked with a scratchy voice.

"Hey, baby. It's me. I'm right here," she said in a calm voice. Dani rubs her eyes in order for her vision to adjust to the light. She looks back at Emily and smiles.

"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Emily asked.

"My head feels a little fuzzy but that's about it," Dani replies while rubbing her eyes. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Emily said. "Do you need anything?"

"No. I think I'm good," Dani said while looking at Emily. "How long was I asleep?"

"About ten hours," the agent replied. Dani's eyes went wide open in surprise.

"Ten hours?" She questioned in disbelief. She looked at Emily and she nodded. "Well that's a record," she murmured.

"It is," Emily told the teen. Dani tried to sit up on the bed but she struggled due to her body feeling weak. Emily immediately stood up and helped the teen. She carefully helped her up and placed a pillow behind Dani in order to support her.

"Gracias," Dani said, slightly embarrassed. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't do something so simple like sitting up but was grateful for the agent's help.

Emily places a soft kiss on the top of Dani's head. "No hay problema," she said with a smile. She sits at the edge of the bed and wraps her arm around Dani. The teen leans on the woman, resting her head against her chest. Even though she had slept for hours, Dani still felt tired. She knows it's most likely because of the medication they gave to her.

They hear someone knocking on the door and entering. It was the same doctor who Emily had spoken to the night before. He walks towards both of them and offers a smile.

"Hello, Daniela. I am Doctor Brown." He introduced himself. "Do you remember seeing me yesterday?"

Dani lifts her head up and looks at the doctor. "No. Not really," Dani told him with honesty. She saw a lot of nurses and doctors checking up on her and was very tired the night before. There was no way she could recognize who helped her in the hospital yesterday.

"That is alright," the doctor said with a smile. "I talked to your mother last night. I just wanted to pass by and see how you were doing."

Emily held her breath as the doctor finished his sentence. Last night she identified herself as Daniela's mother to the doctor. Yes, Emily did consider herself her mom. After all, she loves the girl as her own daughter and sees her as one. She knows Dani has a different opinion when it comes to that. the word "mother" or "mom" we're sacred words to her. To Dani, she will have only one woman as her mother. Sofia Hernandez was and will always be her mom even if she wasn't present in her life anymore. The child made herself a promise in never replacing her mother. Emily respected Daniela's decision. She just hoped that one day Dani would see her as another material figure, not a replacement one.

"I'm alright," Dani replied to the doctor, completely oblivious to the fact he mentioned Emily as her mom. "I just feel tired, that's all."

"That is completely normal. You don't have to worry about that. You will eventually regain your strength," he said while walking towards Dani. "Now if you don't mind, I want to check your pulse."

Dani nodded and the doctor placed his stethoscope on Dani's back. After he was done, he took a look at the stitches Dani had on her brow, making sure they were good.

"Everything looks just fine," he said while writing down on his clipboard. "I want to keep you under observation for another twelve hours then you may go home. I will prescribe pain medication that you can take home today."

"Will you prescribe a lot of meds?" Dani asked nervously.

"No. Just two," he told her. "You are very strong, Daniela. I can see that. I will need you to take lots of rest and minimize any sort of physical activity for a while. This is so you can have a faster recovery with your broken rib."

Dani nodded. She wasn't surprised by having a broken rib. She knew that the last punch she received was a strong one. Dani herself heard it crack. She frowns when remembering it.

Dr. Brown looks up at Emily. "I will send you a copy of the prescriptions and further information in regards to Daniela's recovery. Any questions before I leave?"

"No. Thank you so much for everything," she said while placing her hand on Dani's shoulder.

"No problem. I will leave you two to rest," he said and walked out of the room and closed the door.

"Twelve more hours?" Dani said while placing her head against the headboard of the bed. "That is a lot of time being stuck in this place."

"Time will fly, Dan. Don't worry about it," Emily told her. "If it were up to me, I would have kept you under observation for at least another three days."

"Oh no," Dani said while shaking her head.

"What is it? asked Emily while shifting closer to Dani.

"Once I get out of the hospital, I will be stuck at home with you the whole day," Dani answered with a grin.

Emily shakes her head with a smile. "Oh, yeah. You will have to suffer from my 24/7 presence for a while," Emily said while wrapping her arms around Dani.

"How will I ever survive?" asked Dani sarcastically while rolling her eyes. Emily gives Dani a light squeeze and kisses the side of her head.

"I promise I won't be bugging you all the time," she told Dani.

"Okay. I will keep hold of your word but if you break your promise I will go move in with Penelope," Dani said with a smile.

"Talking about Penelope," Emily said while taking out her phone. "She texted me saying that she and the rest of the team will be coming over for a visit. I want to warn you so they don't catch you off guard," said the agent while scrolling through her text messages.

"What time will they be here?" asked the teen. She was excited to see the team again, especially Penelope.

_**Knock Knock**_


	33. I Need To Explain

**Hey guys! A new chapter for today. Sorry for the small hiatus. I stumbled on a few things which made me put off this chapter for a bit but we are here. I will change my uploading schedule to posting on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Basically twice a month now starting today. Well here is chapter 33. Please leave a comment on what you think of this so far. Your feedback helps me improve my quality of writing. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 33**

_**Knock Knock**_

"I have a feeling that knock answered your question," Emily said with a smile. "Come in," she said. The door opens and both Dani's and Emily's eyes widen as they see Garcia walk in holding large, colorful balloons on one hand while holding a cute teddy bear on another hand. Luke walks right behind her holding a large gift basket that had a "Get Well Soon" card on it. The rest of the team enters along with them.

"Oh my precious pumpkin," Penelope said with worried eyes. She carefully settled the balloons and teddy bear on a nearby table and rushed towards Dani. "I was so worried about you. We all were," she said while carefully reaching out to hug Dani. Dani receives her embrace with a smile.

"Hey, Penelope," Dani said while receiving the warm hug. She winces lightly, feeling a sting on her side of her ribcage but she ignores it. She looks at the rest of the team and offers a small hand wave. "Hey guys."

The team surrounded her and greeted her and Emily. Penelope lets go of the teen and cups her cheek with one hand. "Are you okay? Is something hurting you? Am I hurting you?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine. Nothing hurts," she answered with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Asked the tech analyst with a brow raised.

"Positive," Dani said while nodding her head.

Penelope stares at the teen, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. "Oh no," Garcia said while looking up at the rest of the team. They all raise a brow wondering why Garcia said that. "Emily has infected Dani with eternal stubbornness."

The team all laugh at Garcia's statement, nodding in agreement.

"Oh no. Don't blame me. She was already a very stubborn child," Emily told Garcia.

"But you enhanced it," Dani said while glancing at Emily with a smirk. Emily nudges Dani playfully in response to the teen's words.

During the rest of the team's visit, Dani was talking to Penelope, Spencer, Luke, and Rossi. Penelope was telling the team about her visitation plan. This included movies, food, games, and overall quality time with the tech analyst. Spencer wanted to show Dani how to play poker and blackjack. He also wanted to show her books that he had found in his room about human psychology, which in particular went in-depth in discussing how a person's behavior and personality developed. He knew the teen was very interested in this particular subject. Luke promised to pass by with Roxy. Rossi told Dani that he would be Dani's personal chef, serving her delicious Italian dinner. He also wanted to try out a few new video games he recently purchased with her.

Dani was very grateful for hearing everything the team was offering. She is amazed at how they all treat her like they knew her their whole life. Dani has always seen the strong bond the whole BAU team had. They were more than a team. They were family and now Dani sees that she is a part of that.

After years of having a broken family, Dani wouldn't have ever imagined having the warmth and love of a family again. Between the death of her brother and being placed in the foster system the teen had lost all hope of ever landing in a good home. As the years passed, the illusion of her being happy with a family drifted away.

But now she has one. Dani always questioned why she was given a second chance at life. She tried to rationalize it with good karma or just pure luck. She will most likely never find a true answer for this but one thing is sure. Now she has a family she can rely on. She wouldn't trade them for anything in this world.

While Dani was talking with them, Emily was with the rest of the team at the other end of the room. She was drinking a cup of tea that JJ brought her. It definitely helped to calm her down.

"How are you feeling, Emily?" Asked Tara.

"I'm good," she simply replied.

"Do you really think we believe that?" asked JJ while looking at the brunette. "Emily, what happened to you and to Dani was something very hard. We just want to know if you are okay."

Emily looks up at JJ. She sees that the blonde agent was visibly concerned. "I...I don't know how I feel right now," Emily said while looking down at the floor. "I have mixed feelings about what happened. Right now I feel scared," she said in a low tone. She had never admitted publicly about being afraid. This was the first time she had done so.

"It is completely understandable why you feel like that," said Matt. "Any parent would feel scared if they went through the same thing you did. What is important right now is that it's all over. You and Dani are both safe now."

"That is true. We are safe because of you all and I thank you guys for that," Emily said. "I'm just worried about how this is going to affect her."

"Has she broken down or had any nightmares?" asked Tara.

"No, not yet" Emily said. She turns around and looks at Dani. The teen is watching Penelope arguing with Spencer about the true definition of fun. Penelope going all on Spence saying that reading antique novels does not count as fun. The girl was watching both of them discussing like children with a big smile on her face. Emily was scared that her smile would eventually disappear. She turns her head back at the group and looks at them. "I'm scared that once all the drugs wear off, Dani will fully take in what happened. She is a person who hides her feelings well, even hiding them away from me. I don't want her to go through hard times with everything she went through alone. I'm afraid she won't tell me how she really feels."

"I can't tell you that won't happen," said Tara. "But what I can tell you is that as long as you are there for her she will eventually warm up. It will just take time."

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After talking for a while, the team decided it was time to go in order to let Dani and Emily rest. They all said their goodbyes and left, leaving Rossi behind talking to the two ladies.

"As I told Dani before, I will pass by every night to give you two an exquisite Dinner," he told Emily.

"David, I appreciate your modesty but you don't have to do that," Emily said brushing her fingers across Dani's hair.

"But I want to," David said. "Plus, I will be saving Dani from possible burnt food that was left in the stove for too long."

"He is right about that," Dani said while looking at Emily. "At least the fire alarm won't go off for a while," she said with a smirk. Emily rolls her eyes and ruffles the teen's hair.

"Fine, you both win," she said in defeat. Dani and Rossi both pump their fist as a celebration.

"A wise choice," said Rossi with a wink. "I will get going now. Rest well, Dani. Try not to give Emily too much trouble," he said with a smile.

"I will try but I make no promises," Dani replied.

"Fair enough," Rossi said with a nod. He looks up at Emily. "Can I talk to you outside for a moment?" He asked while gesturing at the door. Emily looks at him and nods.

"Sure," she replied. Emily looks at Dani and brushes the teen's cheek gently. "I will be right at the door. I promise I will be right back," she told her. Dani looks up at the agent and nods. Emily pressed a soft kiss on Dani's temple and stood up, walking towards Rossi. They both exit out the room and Rossi closes the door.

"I wanted to inform you about Declan's arrest," he told the brunette. "He has openly admitted everything he did. He will have a psychological evaluation and from there it will be determined if he goes on trial."

Emily listens to Rossi and nods.

"Does Dani know about him? About your past?" asked Rossi with his arms crossed.

Emily shook her head. "I never told her before. When he had us both in the cellar he told Dani about Doyle. Parts of what happened but she doesn't know the whole truth."

"I'm sure she will understand once you tell her. She is a smart girl," Rossi said while placing his hand on Emily's shoulder. "Anything you need, call me. Okay?"

"Okay."

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Hours passed by and Dani was discharged out of the hospital. She was very glad that they were finally out of the hospital building. She never liked the hospital. The needles and overall dull environment was not a good fit for the teen.

Emily passed by the pharmacy to pick up Dani's prescription medicine and now she was driving home. She glanced at Dani who had her head against the window. She was looking outside, watching the buildings pass by.

"Hey, do you want me to pass by to get something to eat?" Emily asked the teen.

"No. I'm not hungry," Dani responded. She didn't have an appetite. All she wanted to do was get home and rest.

They finally arrive back at the apartment. Emily parks her car and steps out of the car. She walks to the passenger door and opens it, helping Dani out of the car and wraps an arm around the teen's waist. Dani was still pretty weak from all the hospital medication. Walking on her own wasn't exactly the best idea at the moment.

"I walk like a person who is on their twelfth beer," Dani murmured.

"I hope you aren't saying that from personal experience," Emily said while waiting for the elevator door to open.

"No. I can only go up to eight. Can't quite get to the two-digit number yet," Dani replied.

Emily looks at Dani and stares at her with a slight frown.

"At least I'm being honest," Dani said with a shrug.

"Well, I assure you that you won't be getting near a single-digit number when it comes to alcohol," Emily told the teen as the elevator door opens. Dani chuckles lightly as they both enter.

They arrive at the loft unit, Emily unlocking the door and guides Dani to the living room. She helps the teen sit down on a couch and smoothes her hair.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" She asked while sitting on the arm of the couch.

"I'm not really hungry," Dani told her.

"Okay. I will let you rest here for a while but I need you to eat something in an hour. I don't want you to run on an empty stomach, okay?" she told Dani.

Dani nods in agreement while leaning on the side of the couch. It was way more comfortable than the hospital bed she was in before.

Emily stands up and grabs the remote control that was on top of the coffee table. She turns on the TV and hands the remote to Dani.

"I need to work on some paperwork for a while. You rest here while I go work on it. Anything you need, do not hesitate to call me," she told Dani.

"Okay. Don't worry, I will be fine," Dani replied to the brunette. Emily places a quick kiss on the teen's forehead.

"I will be right in my office," the agent informed Dani. The teen nods and Emily walks towards her office. She enters and leaves her door open just in case Dani was to call her.

Emily sits at her desk and pulls out her laptop. She has so many things revolving around her head. She is thinking about how Doyle managed to get to her even after his death. How she let her guard down after seeing his death, confident that the final chapter with Ian was written and sealed. She couldn't even imagine that Ian would get in contact with his son, especially if he died. The man always had planned ahead. He knew his days were numbered so he planned accordingly. She just wondered how exactly did Ian do this. How did he manipulate Declan to fall for his trap?

Emily sees that your past always comes back to bite you. In her case, it's more than one round. When Ian escaped from prison in order to look for her, he was targeting the people she was close to. He threatened her with the lives of her team. He knew exactly which strings to pull in order to make Emily do whatever he wanted. He taught Declan the same thing. He said it himself, he saw that Emily took in Dani and knew this would have made Emily suffer more.

The worst part is that he was right.

When Ian took her, the agent was scared of dying but at least she knew that her whole team was no longer in danger. This time was different. Her daughter was the one being held hostage. She saw her get hurt and in pain without being able to do anything to help her.

Declan managed to do something that no other person has done in her life. He managed to terrify Emily to the core.

Emily has known Dani for two years. In that period of time, the brunette has grown very attached to the teen. The process of Dani warming up to her was a slow one but she slowly opened her heart out to Emily, allowing her inside. Anytime Emily would get even an inch closer to Dani, her heart bursts with joy knowing that Dani was starting to love her too.

Emily never quite understood how a stranger could steal someone's heart. The logic didn't make much sense to her at the time. How can someone that you hardly know take over your love? She now notices that without attempting, Dani took her's. Emily loves her unconditionally without any doubt. She would do anything for her. All because she loves her.

But she knows better than anyone that with great love comes deep pain. Watching someone about to take away her daughter's life was a stab through her heart. This traumatizing event will scar her for the rest of her life.

Emily tried to get herself together. It's all over. No one can hurt her anymore. She is safe. The agent repeated these words to herself as a way to compose herself but deep down she knew that these words were not all true. Yes, they were rescued and Declan would be placed behind bars. He would never get near them again. Emily was worried about how this whole situation affected Dani emotionally. Even though the teen tried her best in looking brave, Emily saw full fear in her eyes. She could just imagine how scared the girl was when she had a gun pointed at her face. No one should ever go through something like that, especially if you are just a kid.

Emily couldn't help but wonder how the teen would look at her from now on. She had learned a part of Emily's past that she never knew about. Dani was probably confused but too shy to ask what she was told by Declan. Emily knows that the teen would start to question everything about Emily and her past. The agent was afraid of the trust that she had built with Dani would start to crumble.

Emily knows she needs to tell her what happened. She has to tell her about her past with Doyle and try to explain everything that led up to this point. It's a lot to unravel for the teen but she needs to be as open to her in order for Dani to fully understand what happened. Emily hoped that the teen would understand why Emily didn't tell her about her time she was an undercover agent. She did it to protect her not to hurt her.

Emily let out a tired sigh. She rubbed her temple and looked at all the paperwork that she had to complete.

"Well, this isn't going to finish by itself," she told herself and started to work on them.

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An hour passed by and Dani was sitting on the couch watching TV. The channel was on Boomerang, showing a marathon of classic 2000's cartoons. After everything that has happened, Dani felt that watching cartoons would help ease up from all the tension she had. An episode of Scooby-Doo was airing, one of Dani's favorite cartoons of all time. Dani remembers watching these types of cartoons with her brother. How they both would lay on the floor with snacks and watch cartoons for hours. They even had a competition of who would solve the mystery first. She remembers how Lucas would try his best to imitate Scooby's voice and how Dani would playfully laugh at him. One of a few good memories from her past. Memories that she would cherish forever.

She hears footsteps approaching her and turns her head around and sees Emily walking inside the living room. Emily looks at the teen and smiles as she enters.

"Hey. I'm done with all my paperwork for today. What do you want me to cook up for you?" she asked while leaning against the wall.

Dani looked down and bit her lip. "I'm not that hungry," she said in a low voice.

Emily moved her head slightly sideways. "Hun, you need to eat something," she said with worried eyes. "You have to at least try."

"I know," Dani said while looking at Emily. "Can I just eat yogurt for now?"

"Add in a fruit and you have a deal," Emily said, hoping the teen would agree.

"Deal," Dani replied with a nod. Emily smiles and goes inside the kitchen in order to get the food.

Dani stays in the living room, waiting for Emily to come back. Dani really wasn't hungry but she didn't want to worry Emily more than she already is. She will try her best in eating most of the food Emily would give her. Mostly for Emily's sake.

Emily returns from the kitchen with two yogurts and an apple in hand. She sits down next to Dani and hands her a yogurt and a spoon. "I got you the vanilla flavored one. I know how much you like it."

"Thanks," Dani said while opening the yogurt. She takes a small scoop of yogurt and eats it. Emily accompanies the teen and both are eating while having small talk.

Emily made sure Dani finished eating all the yogurt before she could start talking to the teen about everything that was happening lately.

Emily placed her cup down and turned her body completely, looking at Dani. The teen noticed the change in posture that the agent had so she looked up to her, curious about what the agent was going to do or say.

"Dan, I need to explain to you what happened," Emily said while looking at Dani. "About how your kidnapping is involved with my past."

Dani looks at Emily and nods. She wanted to ask about what happened earlier. Why did she know the man? Why was he so mad at her? What did he mean when he said that Emily destroyed his life? She had a bunch of questions revolving around her head but didn't have enough courage to ask her. The main question that kept on reappearing is why didn't Emily tell her about her past? Was it because Emily didn't trust her? Part of her was scared about the answers Emily would give her.

"I promise I will explain everything to you. I just need you to bear with me, okay?" Emily told Dani while taking a deep breath. She knows she has a lot of things to say. She doesn't like recalling her past with Doyle but Emily knows it's the only way to explain to Dani what happened. After all, after everything the teen went through she has every right to know what happened. She had to tell her daughter the truth.

"Alright," Dani replied with a nod. She was nervous about where this conversation would lead to but she was determined to stay and listen to the answer to her questions.

Emily began to explain to the teen about her hidden past. About how she used to work in the Interpol back in the day. How she had to go undercover for two years in order to arrest an arms dealer. How she met Ian and Declan. She explained to the teen that both of them knew her by her undercover alias, Lauren. She told Dani about the arrest of Ian Doyle and what she had to do in order to keep Declan and herself safe. How she had to fake both of their deaths in order to live without the fear of Ian ever returning.

She then told the teen about her re-encounter with Doyle. Of how he managed to escape the North Korean prison in order to fully act on his thirst for revenge upon everyone who has wronged him with Emily at the top of his list. Dani was listening attentively as Emily was telling her how Doyle managed to find Emily and nearly killed her. That part is what scared the teen the most.

Emily tried her best not to confuse the teen with twists and turns while explaining about her past. She knows that Dani is smart but her story can be very confusing to anyone who is bombarded with this information like the teen was.

Emily explained the fall of Ian Doyle. How his bad actions caught up to him and ended with his life. "He was shot by Declan's birth mother. He died in the scene," Emily said while rubbing her face. "After his death, we closed the case. His son was sent under witness protection just to make sure that any other enemy of Ian wouldn't get to him. I haven't heard from him for years… until now," she said while looking down at the floor. She wouldn't have ever imagined her re-encounter with Declan the way it happened. How Declan was just as revengeful as his father. Cold-blooded and calculated. Knowing exactly where to hit in order to cause the most pain.

"That's why he wanted to kill me. To avenge his father," Dani said while glancing at Emily. Now that she knew everything it all made sense. He wanted an eye for an eye. Doyle's death goes down with her own.

Emily looked at the teen, feeling tremendous guilt when hearing Dani say those words. "Yes. That is why he took you," she told the teen. "I never thought anything like this would have happened to you. Dan, I swear to you that I never wanted you to get hurt."

"It's alright," Dani told her with a smile. "I just…" she paused abruptly and looked at Emily. She shifts a few centimeters down at the edge of the couch, distancing herself away from her.

Emily noticed that the teen moved away from her. It was subtle but she still noticed. The agent was afraid that everything she told her threw off Dani causing her to distrust her. It took a while for Emily to build a bond of trust between her and Dani. It required a lot of time and patience in order for the agent to land in the small circle of trust that Dani had. Emily didn't want to lose her trust. She didn't want to lose her daughter.

"Dan, you can tell me or ask me anything you want. I promise you that I will answer truthfully," Emily told her daughter in hopes that she would open up.

Dani glances up at Emily and takes a moment to take a breath. "Why… why didn't you tell me?" She asked the brunette with a slightly hurt tone. "About your past working undercover. Is it because you don't trust me or something?"


	34. I Understand

**Hola! Hey guys, a new chapter today! Welp, it's about time we cool off with everything that was going on this story so far. Here is chapter 34 for you all. Don't forget to leave a comment about the story and/or chapter so far. Any thoughts, questions, suggestions, and predictions are welcome. The next chapter will be posted September the first so don't forget to be on the lookout. Enjoy and be safe.**

**Chapter 34**

"**About your past working undercover. Is it because you don't trust me or something?"**

"No, honey. That was never the reason. I trust you with all my heart," Emily said while placing her hand on Dani's lap, silently begging the girl to look up at her. "My life involving Ian Doyle was one of the darkest chapters of my life. It was hard so I tried my best not to look back. I wanted to start fresh with a clean page. After a while, I decided to leave the BAU and move back to London. I worked there for a couple of years but I always missed the team. After a while I realized that DC was home to me because my family was here," she told her. "Then I met the most beautiful and important person in my life. I met you. It's not that I didn't want to tell you. I just wanted to bury my past and focus on my future."

Dani looks at Emily with a sympathetic expression. She understands why Emily didn't tell her about her past as an undercover agent. She went through a lot of tough things that Dani couldn't have ever imagined. She noticed how they are both alike. Both wanting to move on from their past. To stride away from the pain they felt before.

"I understand," Dani said with a nod. Emily looked at her, trying to figure out if Dani was being honest or if she was trying to play it out. As a profiler, she can easily read when a person is lying or not. Easily being able to interpret body language that gives off signals who are giving untruthful information but the profiler didn't want to have to profile her own daughter. Dani isn't a criminal that Emily has to crack down on. She's her kid. There are times where she profiles her by accident as if profiling is second nature to her. She hopes the teen is talking to her sincerely, not holding back anything on her mind.

"Sometimes we just go through hard situations which we rather want to forget. To move on, trying to push through everything we went through in order to get a sense of happiness," said the young teen.

Emily was surprised by how wise the girl sounded for her age. She knows that wisdom is not gained by age, it's gained through life experience. She knows that the teen has been through so much hardship and pain. The girl was never given a chance in having a normal childhood.

The agent sees that Dani does understand her reasons for not telling her.

Emily scoots in closer to Dani and wraps her arm around the teen's shoulder. "You helped me reach my happiness and that's because you are my happiness," Emily said while kissing the side of her daughter's head. "I want to help you reach yours."

Dani looks at Emily and smiles. "I have a good feeling about that," she said while reaching out to Emily for a hug. This catches Emily in surprise but then she wraps her arms around the teen, holding her closely. The brunette lets out a sigh of relief knowing that after everything that has happened her daughter is safe.

The embrace lasted for a while until a question popped up in Dani's mind. She lets go of Emily and looks up at her.

"Ummm… about your life as an undercover agent. Is that over?" she asked nervously. "No more aliases. No more shady stuff. You're just the person I know you as. Emily Prentiss, head of the BAU and a badass foster mom," she said with a small smirk.

Emily smiles at the teen's remark. "That's right, Dan. I'm not about that life anymore," she confirmed with a nod. "Do you really think I'm a badass?" she asked with a smug face. For the most part, Dani would playfully call Emily a nerd or a bookworm. Most nerds aren't really considered a badass.

"Is an ex undercover agent now FBI agent head of the coolest team I know considered a badass?" Dani questioned sarcastically. "You get some cool points on your chart."

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An hour passed by and Dani fell asleep in the living room. The girl was lying on the couch with her head resting on Emily's lap. Emily was running her fingers through the teen's dark brown hair while watching TV in a low volume. Emily looks at Dani peacefully sleeping and smiles sadly. The reason why the teen fell asleep on the couch was that she took the medication that the doctor prescribed for her. The pill made her drowsy until she fell asleep. It took a while for Emily to convince her to take it. The teen was very hesitant in taking the medication, saying that she felt fine and didn't need it. Emily had a good idea of why Dani didn't want to take the medicine. Emily knows that this has to do with how Dani's biological mother got hooked up on drugs. Sofia, Dani's mother, got addicted after being prescribed strong pain reliever medication after suffering a car accident when Dani was just five years old. This is the reason why Dani didn't want to take her medicine. Due to fear of falling in the deep void of addiction just like her mother did.

Emily continues to run her fingers through the teen's smooth hair. It's a way to calm the brunette down, knowing that her daughter is safe with her and no more harm can be done. She watches as the teen sleeps and soon enough, the agent falls asleep too. Both of them were in need of good sleep. They slept for the remainder of the afternoon.

_**Buzz Buzz Buzz**_

Emily's phone was ringing, startling both her and Dani out of their sleep. The teen's head shot up, alarmed by the ringtone. She then noticed that it was just Emily's phone and shakes her head with a small chuckle.

"Damn, that thing almost gave me a heart attack," Dani said while rubbing her eyes.

Emily gives her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, hun," she said while rubbing the teen's shoulder. Dani smiles at her, saying that it's all good. Emily reads the caller ID on her phone and sees that it's JJ. "It's J. I'll be in my office while you stay here and rest. I'll be back in a few," she said while getting up from the couch.

"Aye aye, captain," Dani said in response. "Oh. Tell JJ I said hi."

"Alright," Emily said with a smile. She smoothes the teen's hair and walks towards her office, answering the phone.

"Hey, JJ," Emily said as she sat down at her desk.

"Hi, Em. How are you and Dani doing?" asked the blonde agent on the other end of the phone.

"Pretty well. We were both pretty tired. We took a well-needed nap," Emily replied. "Oh, she said hi by the way."

"That sounds great," JJ said with a smile. "I can't wait to see you both. I just wanted to talk to you about Declan."

"What about him?"

"He was attended to for his injured arm. Right now he is under custody. He will go under psychiatric evaluation. He would be behind bars for a while," JJ told Emily.

Emily rubs her face in a tired manner. "How did this happen?" she asked. "Doyle is dead. How the hell did he manage to get to him?" She said in defeat. "This is all my fault. If would've known that-"

"Hey, Em. Don't do that. Don't slam your head against the wall blaming yourself. None of this is your fault," JJ insisted. " Doyle had everything planned out, including what should happen if he were to die. He left instructions to his men explaining what they should do if one day death caught up to him. They eventually found him and talked to him. Doyle even made a video where he explains his version of the story."

"And that's where Declan took the bait," said the brunette.

"I know you did everything you could to help Declan. You were determined to do anything to help him out of that life. Sometimes things happen that we have no control over. This was one of them."

Emily sighed. She knows JJ is right. There was no way she could have avoided this. Something so unexpected can't be stopped. "You're right. I couldn't have avoided this even if I tried. I'm just glad Dani is okay."

"Did you explain to her why this all happened?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. I told her everything. I didn't want to lose her trust so I explained everything. About me working for Interpol and about Doyle. She knows everything." Emily told JJ.

"How did it go?"

"She looked a little overwhelmed at first," Emily started. "And then I saw her trying to distance herself away from me. I convinced her to open up. That I would answer any questions she had without hesitation. She asked me why I didn't tell her about my past, sounding quite hurt. I explained to her that it was because I wanted to leave the past behind. She understands why I did it. I saw it in her eyes."

"She's very smart and understanding. I'm sure she still trusts you with all her heart," said JJ.

"I just hope it stays that way," said the brunette. "It took me months for her to trust me. I don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose her."

"And you won't, Em," JJ assured her. "You're a great mother to her. Determined and loving. Trust me when I tell you that you won't lose her."

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The next day rolled by pretty smoothly. Emily was cleaning up the kitchen while Dani was watching TV. For the majority of the day, Dani was resting while Emily was keeping a close eye on the teen. She noticed that Dani was behaving more introverted than usual. The teen would usually talk with Emily about almost anything that came out of her mind. Conversations would range from anything from school anecdotes to Dani's interests like Emily's job and cases she would work in. Dani admires the work tactics of the BAU. The way they use psychology in order to capture wanted unsubs always fascinated the young teen. It sparked an interest in taking psychology classes for her sophomore year. Emily is glad in knowing that her daughter admires her work title but she would always limit the amount of information she would tell her. The agent would just give her a summary of the cases, avoiding any gruesome details that no child should hear.

Dani was sitting down, watching a random telenovela she found while scrolling through the channels. Her energy bar was not at its highest peak. The medication and her overall physical state wouldn't allow her to feel energized. She hated feeling worn out. It just wasn't her. She is a pretty energetic person, always looking for something to do in hopes of a fun adventure. Now she is stuck at home in hopes that she would recover soon.

Emily stepped out of the kitchen and headed towards the living room where Dani was watching tv. She walked to the back of the couch where the teen was sitting and wrapped her arms gently around her neck.

"What are you watching?" Emily asked while placing her chin on top of Dani's head.

"This random telenovela I found. Not really sure about the whole plot premise but what I do know is that no one should mess with the protagonist," she said while pointing out the actress on the TV. "They call her _La Doña. _She is authoritative and pretty intimidating. Kind of like you."

"What do you mean? I am a very nice person," Emily said while looking at the TV. The teen was right. The actress was a tall, attractive, slender woman. She was wearing a medium length red dress with black high heels. Her body posture reflected dominance and superiority. One of a successful businesswoman. "She looks pretty scary."

"You are pretty nice," Dani said while glancing up at Emily. "Im talking about Agent Prentiss. She can be pretty scary. Especially with her badge and gun in hand," the teen pointed out. "But that's a good asset for your job. I feel kinda bad for the criminal who doesn't cooperate."

Emily lets out a small chuckle. "I guess you are right about that," she told the teen. She had to admit, when it came to solving a case, Emily had to change from a nice, outgoing person to a more serious and determined person, following the steps of the ex-unit chief, Aaron Hotchner. She knows she could never be as serious as he is but she uses him as an example to follow.

Both ladies hear the doorbell ring. "I'll go get it," the brunette said while dropping a kiss on top of the teen's head. Dani looks back where the door is, wondering who could it be.


	35. Were You Scared?

**Hey yall. Welp its September first and as promised, a new chapter today. We take on another glance at Dani's backstory, specifically being inside a particular foster home. It does get a little gloomy but I promise you it also has light-hearted moments in this chapter.**

**Please leave a comment on what you think so far about this story or chapter. Any insight or suggestions, all comments are welcomed. With your comments, I get to see whether or not I should continue writing this story. College can get busy but if I see that people are enjoying this story, I will gladly continue to write and upload. Take care and enjoy it.**

**Chapter 34**

Emily walks towards the door and checks on her security tablet in order to see who is ringing the door. On the other side of the door was Amelia and James, both holding a bag looking rather anxious. Amelia had her blonde hair combed straight, wearing a mid-length white skirt with a black blouse. Her style is always high-end clothing, always setting the bar high in fashion. James was the opposite, wearing just a plain grey shirt with jeans.

Emily walks at the door and opens it. "Hey. I'm glad you guys made it," she greeted them with a warm smile. "Come in," she gestured inside.

Both teens smile and enter, greeting Emily with a handshake.

"How is she?" asked Amelia while closing the door.

"She's okay. Her energy is a little low but I'm sure you guys could cheer her up," Emily replied. The friends were worried after trying to contact Dani several times without success. This is why they contacted Emily while she was in the hospital asking if she knew about Dani. That is when the agent informed them about what happened. She invited them over in order for them to visit her.

She guided both teens to the living room. Dani heard them walking inside and stood up slowly, holding her side of her ribcage. "Hey," she said, giving her friends a weary smile.

Both teens froze instantly, having their eyes wide open in shock. They saw Dani's face with a rather large bruise on her jaw and stitches going through her brow. She looked like she got out of a pretty bad boxing match.

"Dani! What the heck happened to you?" Asked Amelia with a mixture of confusion and worry. "You look like… like-"

"Like shit," James blurbed out. He covered his mouth, instantly regretting what he said. Amelia elbows his ribs, giving him a stare of disapproval. "Sorry," he said embarrassingly.

"Nice to see you too, James," Dani said, rolling her eyes playfully with a smile.

Both teens walk towards Dani and place their bags on the coffee table. Emily sits on the arm of the couch where Dani was sitting. James sits on the opposite couch, facing Dani while Amelia stands in front of her. She reaches for her slowly, not wanting to hurt her. "Does it hurt?" She asked while lifting Dani's chin, turning her head slightly in order for her to see the stitches clearly.

"Nope. I'm all good," Dani said with a smile. She noticed doubt reflecting on her friend's face. "Seriously. I'm fine. Nothing hurts."

Amelia lowers her hand and sighs. "God, Dan. What trouble did you get yourself into now?"

Dani raises her brow, feeling slight discomfort. "Wait. This wasn't my fault," she said while sitting back down. She bit her lip, realizing something. "Well, okay. It was partially my fault. I was out when I wasn't supposed to," she admitted.

"Wait. Why were you out?" Asked Emily with an inquiry.

Dani glanced at the agent and sighed. She knew she had blown her cover. "I uhh… might have gone out to a... social event that night," she said while avoiding the agent's gaze.

"So a party?" Emily stated with a frown. She did wonder why Dani was out but that question was pushed to the back of her mind with everything else that was happening. She was just glad that her daughter was safe.

"But I swear I learned my lesson in never going out while grounded again. Trust me, I won't do it. Please have mercy on my poor soul," the teen said while giving Emily puppy eyes.

Emily rolls her eyes and smiles. "Don't worry. I will have mercy on your mortal soul today," she said while patting Dani's knee. If they were in a different position, Emily wouldn't have let Dani's bad actions slide out of her radar. Emily loved her but she is always firm in teaching her that bad actions have bad consequences. Scolding and punishment would have been necessary in order to guide the teen to the right path. Emily won't do that on this occasion. The teen was put through so much already, not that it was her fault. Her rebellious actions just led her to the wrong place at the wrong time. This was never a way Emily would have wanted Dani to learn her lesson but she knows it did. Part of her feels guilty in knowing the child learned through trauma. Never a good way to learn something.

Amelia walks over and takes a seat next to James.

"Dan, you need to chill with your escapades. You will end up giving one of us a heart attack. Especially to Emily," James points out.

"You are right about that. This girl will end up being the reason why my hair is showered in grey," Emily said playfully while looking at Dani.

"It's not my fault that you are getting old," Dani shoots back with a smug face. Emily nudges the teens shoulder playfully.

"I'll leave you guys alone so you all can catch up, anything you guys need just tell me," Emily said while standing up. "Don't cause too much trouble," she told Dani as she places a quick kiss on the top of her head and walks upstairs.

Dani watches as the agent walks upstairs and eventually is out of her sight. She turns around and faces her friends, both with worried faces.

"Dan, what happened?" asked Amelia with a worried face.

Dani looks up at her friends and sighs. She knows there was a lot that happened that day. Dani herself couldn't process the whole ordeal, especially when adding Emily's past into this. Her brain was flooded with too many thoughts roaming around her mind about her kidnapping. She wasn't sure how to explain to her friends about it. "I uhh… was kidnapped. The guy held me for a few hours and well… that's where this happened," she said while pointing at her stitches.

"Did you know the dickhead who held you?" asked James.

"No. I never met him in my life but he knew me," Dani replied.

"What do you mean?" asked Amelia while sitting up. "How did he know you?"

Dani looks down at the floor, watching her feet planted on the ground. "He knew me through Emily," she said with a low voice. The teen doesn't blame Emily for her abduction. It wasn't her fault that someone she tried to protect ended up wanting to hurt her. It was just something that was bound to happen. "He is the son of an arms dealer that Emily helped with his arrest years ago. His father died while in the custody of the BAU. He… he wanted to get even."

"He wanted to kill you?" James said with distress.

"That was his plan," Dani said plainly with a nod. "Emily and the team found me in time. They caught him. He can't do anything now." The teen didn't want to go into details about how Emily was also held hostage with her. She didn't want to remember how she heard Emily desperately trying everything she could to spare the teen's life. She didn't want to go back and remember watching the gun pointed at Emily's head.

Her body would recoil each time that image replayed in her mind.

The teens were in silence for a few moments, trying to take in what was said. Amelia and James were both frightened thinking about the fact that they could have lost a friend. How everything could have crumbled to pieces.

"Were you scared?" asked James, breaking the silence that was in the room.

Dani glanced up and bit her lip. Growing up as a foster child, Dani had to learn to hide away her fears. She learned that being scared was a sign of weakness. If a child shows that they are weak, foster parents with bad intentions would prey on them knowing that they have power over them. The teen, like other foster kids, learned the hard way.

_**Flashback (7 years ago)**_

_8-year-old Daniela is standing in front of a house's front porch with three trash bags in hand, shifting rather nervously from side to side. The child was standing next to Mr. Brian Harper, her social worker at the time. Dani never really liked the man. He was rather strict and short-tempered, always telling the child what to do._

"_Stop moving so much, Daniela," he sighed while checking out the time on his watch. The man was always on a schedule, never liked being late for anything. He rolls his eyes as he notices that if he stays any longer he would be late for an appointment. He knocks the door again, this time with more force._

_The little girl is fidgeting with her shirt, twisting the bottom of her shirt around her finger. She's a nervous wreck thinking about who her new foster parents would be. Her first year inside the system went pretty smoothly. She landed with the Adams Family, a nice couple who took her in as well as two other children. They treated her rather nicely, offering her and her foster siblings a nice playroom, toys, and other nice amenities that the kids loved. Overall, the Adams were pretty great people. It's true, the Adams never replaced her mother. The kid missed her like crazy but she was allowed to see her once every other week and she was grateful for that. Unfortunately, the Adams had a family emergency which required them to fly back to London in order to take care of a sick family member. Dani and the rest of the foster children under their care would have to be relocated to other foster homes._

_Now she is standing in front of her new temporary home, waiting to get inside. The child looked around the house. It was a large, two-story house with a nice coat of grey and white paint. The front lawn is very well kept with nicely trimmed bushes and beautiful beds of flowers decorating the house. A nice house indeed._

_The door opens widely which caught the girl off guard, flinching back lightly. A man stands in front of her with a small smile. He is a white male around his mid-forties with short blond and grey hair. He has a light mustache on his face. His greenish eyes, looking at her._

"_Mr. Moore, glad to see you," Mr. Harper said with a smile. "Mr. Moore, this is Daniela. Daniela, this is Mr. Moore," he told the small child._

_The child looks up at the tall man and smiles sheepishly. "Hi Mr. Moore," she said shyly._

"_Hello, Daniela," he replied back with a rather deep voice. _

"_You would be staying with him and his wife for a while, Daniela. You know the rules. Always be nice and respectful. Don't cause any trouble," he told her. He looks at his watch and frowns. "Crap, I'm late for a meeting. I have to go now," he told the man. _

"_Don't worry, I got her," Mr. Moore said while gesturing to the girl inside. "My wife is inside the living room. Why don't you go meet her?" He told the girl. Dani nods and slowly walks inside the house._

"_Thank you," Harper said with a smile. "She's a nice girl. She won't cause any trouble."_

"_Oh trust me. She won't," Moore said with a smirk._

_Dani walks inside the living room where a lady was standing there, apparently waiting for her. A tall, pale-skinned lady with a round bob hairstyle. She looked at the kid and shot her a quick smile._

"_Hello. I'm Karen, Mike's wife," she said. "You must be Daniela."_

_The small girl nods. "Yes."_

_Mike walks inside the room and stands next to Karen. He crosses his hands on his chest and stands up straight, looking rather tense._

"_Alright Daniela, let's set things straight. You will be staying with us now with the rest of the kids. I have rules here. Rules that should be followed without any excuse. You break them, you get punished. Got it?" He asked._

_Dani nods slowly in response. The man bends down, eye to eye with the girl and frowns. "Lesson number one. Each time I ask you something you have to answer verbally. You are not mute so answer me with yes sir or no sir. The same goes for Karen. Yes, mam or no mam. Got it?"_

_Dani nodded again but quickly realized her mistake. "Yes sir."_

"_Good. Now go upstairs and enter the first room to your left. You will be sharing rooms with Lisa. She will tell you what goes around here," he said while pointing on the stairs. Dani looks at him for a moment and he quickly stands up. "Go!" He yelled._

_The girl quickly dashed to the stairs and entered the room. The room had a wooden bunk bed and two drawers on sight. It had white walls and overall looked pretty dull. It was well kept, having no sign of trash or mess. She spots a girl that is around three years older than her standing on the side of the room. _

"_You must be the new kid. I'm Lisa," she said while extending her hand for a shake. Dani shakes her hand lightly, introducing herself. "I would say welcome but no one should be welcomed here. You landed in a bad place. These people are mean people."_

"_How mean?" Dani questioned with a brow raised._

"_You will see."_

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_It didn't take much time for Dani to learn how the Moore's function. They work to the extreme length of authoritarian rule. She and the other three foster kids had a strict curfew, one that couldn't be broken. Wake up early in the morning to prepare for the day. Clean up their room in order for it to be spotless. Go to school and directly come back with no diversions. Do any chores the Moore's had for them. Finish it without any questions. They were only allowed to eat after the adults approved of their work. They would search and nitpick for any flaws, making the children starve until they got their chores done to their expectations. The Moore's treated the children as soldiers in a military camp. Always yelling out orders with the only answer expected with yes._

_The children were never allowed to go outside and play like the rest of the children their age. They had a few toys but most of them were old and broken. Not like they had a chance of playing with them anyways. They were always bombarded with work to do._

_All of the kids living in that house knew that they had to comply with everything that the Moore's told them to do. Having the children starve wasn't the only method of punishment they had. _

_Fear._

_Fear was their greatest weapon. Mr. Moore knew exactly what he could do with this. He had different ways of scaring the kids, always choosing which method was most effective depending on the child's own fear. He knew exactly what would make them afraid._

_He was cold and calculated. Studying each child in order to know their emotional weakness. Some kids were afraid of the dark, so he would lock them in a dark room. Others were scared of fire, he would threaten them in burning their skin with a lighter. For Dani, he read her files, learning that the child was coming from a house where drugs were always lurking. He knew what she feared the most. Needles. The child would tremble at the sight of them, knowing what they can potentially do. Each time he would consider Dani misbehaving, he would yell at her, waving a needle and sometimes even run the needle, trailing through her skin making her whole body tremble in fear._

_There was never a day where the Moore's wouldn't insult them. Calling them names and so on. What Dani hated the most is when Mr. Moore would call her pathetic and weak. How she was just a little weak girl._

_She hated it because she knew it was true._

**Present Time**

This was the first but not the last house where Dani was treated this way. She felt blessed in having the chance of landing in a few good foster homes where they treated her well. The teen just wishes she could suppress all the unpleasant memories from homes where they maltreated her. Homes where she hated to be in.

James' question was a hard question to answer. Not because she didn't know how to respond, it was because it was something hard to admit. Yes, she was scared. Maybe she didn't show it but she was scared to death during those moments. Most people would think that the teen was scared of dying but that wasn't the case. What she feared the most was something else.

She's gazing at the floor, avoiding eye contact with either friends. "I uhh… I was scared," she said in a low volume, not wanting Emily to hear her. "I mean the guy was crazy and had me tied up with no chance of escaping. I had a bunch of things going around my head that was just adding more fear."

"And that's completely understandable, Dan," Amelia said while standing up. She walks up and sits next to Dani. "You were kidnapped by a lunatic who wanted to hurt you. It's okay to feel that way," she said while placing her hand on Dani's shoulder.

Dani looks at her and smiles. "I guess you're right."

Amelia smiles back and without warning pulls Dani in for a hug. Dani feels her body ache but ignores it, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"I'm glad you're okay, Dan. I can't imagine what I would do if something were to happen to you," Amelia said with a sniffle.

"I'm okay. Everything is fine."

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The friends were hanging out for the rest of the afternoon. They spent the day watching tv and chatting about what was going on in school and so on. After a while they decided to play UNO, one of the many card games James brought as an "Emergency Bored Kit" to Dani, containing card games to board games. Dani appreciated the nice gesture from her friend.

They are on their third game, Amelia and James winning the first two rounds. The teen's invited Emily to join in for the final round and she gladly accepted. The game is getting pretty competitive, all players having no mercy when placing down a card. After all, they have decided that the winner of this round will be considered the UNO master, having full bragging rights. Emily was the closest to winning, having only three cards left.

"I choose green," Amelia said as she placed the wild card down. James smiles as he places down a green card with the number four on it.

"Crap. I don't have a four or a green card," Dani said as she took a card out of the pile. "Kind of ironic," she mumbled with a smirk. _Of course, the Mexican player doesn't have a green card, _she thought to herself.

It was Emily's turn. She smiled and placed down a red four on the pile. Now she is only down to two cards until she saviors sweet victory.

Amelia places down a red reverse, changing the pattern of how they were going. Emily was next again, planning her move. She had two cards. A blue two card and a plus-four card. She licked her lips while seeing her options.

"I'm so sorry, Dan," she said while placing down the plus four card. "Uno!" She exclaimed out loud. A surprised gasp escaped from both James and Amelia while Dani's jaw dropped in shock.

"What the what?! A plus four? Really?" The teen questioned Emily while picking up her four cards.

"I said sorry in advance," Emily said with a shrug.

"I see your true colors now, agent. Just know karma is a pain in the ass," she said while glancing down at her cards.

"Oh please. What are the odds of me not winning," she said playfully while rolling her eyes. She chooses the color blue and James places down a blue reverse card. Emily notices the devilish smirk on Dani's face when she notices it was her turn. "Oh no," she said worried about what the teen would do.

"Damn right for that oh no. The universe has answered my prayers," she said with a smile while placing down a swap hands card. "By the power this card has given me, I would like to swap hands with you, Em," she said with a smug face.

"Ouch!" James exclaimed while Amelia was chucking.

Emily was astonished how the game changed in a matter of seconds. "No, wait… but-"

"Sorry, there are no but's. Rules are rules," the teen pointed out. Emily sighed and reluctantly gave up her card while Dani gave her the stack of eight cards she had. "Well, well, well. How the turntables?" She said while glancing at Emily with a smirk. Emily rolls her eyes and shoves the teen playfully.

They continued the game and as expected, Dani won thanks to only having one card. She pumped her fist in victory as she gladly accepted the title of UNO master.

"I would like to thank everyone who helped me win this honorable title," she said while holding the stack of cards. "I would like to thank my friends. Thank that person who tried to sabotage me from getting my success," she said mischievously while looking at Emily. "It wouldn't be possible without you."

"It's an honor," Emily said in a serious tone, playing along with the teen. "You wouldn't have one without me."

"Jealous much?" asked Dani with a brow raised. Emily pulls in the teen, wrapping her arms around her while ruffling her hair. "No, wait, no," Dani said while laughing, trying to escape.

Emily's smile widens as she hears her laugh. She loves hearing her kid laughing because that means she is happy and filled with joy.

Two things that Emily always wants the teen to be.

To be beaming with joy.


	36. Worried

**New chapter today. The next chapter will be posted on the 29th of this month. I uhh... don't know what else to say lol. Anyways, please feel free to comment on what you think so far. I am also open to any suggestions you all may have for the story. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 35**

A week passes by with no problems. The team kept their promise in visiting whenever they could in order to make sure the teen was okay. The ladies would enjoy their company, especially with Penelope's vivid energy and Rossi's exquisite food.

Emily noticed how Dani became quite reserved during the course of the days. She was quiet for the most part, only talking when Emily would start up a conversation. Part of her wants to think that the reason why Dani was acting this way is because of the medication that she takes. Some of them do make her drowsy, lowering her energy in talking but the agent knows that it is more than that. She knows it's something emotional that is bothering her. The teen has always told her that she feels good physically but never says anything of how she feels mentally. Emily decided not to push the teen into talking, not wanting her to feel agitated or uncomfortable. She is just patiently waiting in hopes of the teen eventually opening up.

It's a Wednesday morning and Penelope stopped by for a visit, bringing along breakfast to share. Emily and the tech analyst are sitting at the kitchen bar, talking while having a drink.

"I brought you tea with fine herbs my non-caffeine drinker," Penelope said while handling her mug. "I admire you for quitting on such a sugar rush but I do wonder how you manage without it. I don't think I can go by a day without coffee," Penelope said while pointing at her cup. "This is life."

"Caffeine gets me all agitated. I let it go in order to help me relax," Emily told the blonde. "The only time I drink coffee is when i'm hungover."

"Yeah, last time that happened her head was pounding and she was acting like a zombie," Dani said while entering the kitchen with a smile. She was in some red basketball shorts with an oversized long sleeve shirt. The teen had her hair tied up as a messy bun as she just woke up. "Coffee was the cure."

"You're up!" Penelope exclaimed as she stood up and walked towards the teen. She welcomed her with a light hug, knowing that the teen was still recovering from her broken rib.

"Hey, P," Dani said with a smile. She was glad that the tech analyst was there for a visit. Penelope lets go of the teen and looks at her with a smile.

"I brought you something that I know you will love," she said with a smile. Dani tilts her head to the side wondering what the bubbly woman was talking about. Penelope grabs the teen's hand and guides her to the bar where Emily was sitting. The blonde is taking out something from the breakfast bags she brought while Dani sits next to Emily. The brunette smiles at the teen and leans over to press a kiss head.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said with a smile.

"Morning, Em," replied the teen with a sheepish smile.

"You had a good sleep?" Emily asked her. She noticed that the teen had tired eyes and looked slightly paler than usual. The girl also appears to look slightly more thinner. She begins to worry about her health.

"Yeah. Well, kind of," Dani answered. "I slept a little late. Tried sleeping earlier but I couldn't. I guess the meds screwed up my sleeping schedule," she said with a shrug. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Emily looks at Dani with worried eyes. Before she can say something, Garcia walks up to them and with a coffee cup in hand.

"Here you go, sugar bear. Vanilla flavored ice coffee. Just how you like it," Penelope said while handing the cup to the teen. Dani accepts the cup with a smile.

"You're the best. Thank you," she said while taking a sip.

"Anytime, hun," Garcia said with a wink. "You and I are both alike when it comes to mornings. Can't go anywhere without a delicious dose of caffeine."

"That is very true," Dani said while leaning back on the chair. "You have the day off?" she asked Penelope.

"Unfortunately, no. We don't have a case yet so we just have paperwork to fill out. I have to be at the office by eleven," she said with a small pout. "But I wanted to stop by for a visit to see how you two are doing. As the very wonderful person I am, I brought delicious breakfast for you wonderful ladies," she said while unpacking the food that was inside the bags.

"And that's why we love you," Emily said while standing up in order to help the blonde. Dani nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I know you do," replies Penelope with a grin.

The three ladies eat breakfast together. Penelope brought in a variety of morning dishes which included pancakes, sausages, bacon, and scrambled eggs. They all enjoyed the food, Penelope briefing on what Emily has missed from work. Emily is worry-free when it comes to her team not being under her command. As the Unit Chief of the team, she has the responsibility of carrying out and observing what happens in the facility. She left Rossi in charge, knowing that he is the most experienced and skilled person to handle the position of being in charge. She knows that the BAU is in the right hands.

Dani is the first one to finish, not really eating much. She stands up and politely excuses herself from the table. "Thanks for the breakfast, Pen," Dani said with a smile.

"No problem, dear," Penelope said with a smile. "I hope this recharged your battery."

"I hope so too," Emily said while taking a bite of her pancake. "Remember that you have a doctor's appointment at twelve today."

"That's today?" Asked the teen with a brow raised.

"Yes," confirms the brunette with a nod. She sees the teen getting a little tensed up. "It's just a check-up. They just want to see if you are getting better. That's all."

"Alright. I will go shower and change then," Dani said and left the kitchen. The two ladies watch as she leaves before talking. Emily still feels worried as she watches the girl leave. She just knows that Dani is far more impacted about what happened than she shows herself to be. It's starting to affect her health.

"She seems to be doing well," Penelope told the brunette.

"Too well," Emily said with a frown.

"That is a good thing... right?" Garcia questioned.

"I don't know. I guess," Emily said with a sigh. "The kid, she is good at masking what she really feels. She is like a prickly cactus, hard to reach if she doesn't want you to get to her."

"Are we talking about Dani or about you?" Penelope said while cocking her head to the side. "Em, you both do the same thing. Strong-willed, never breaking in front of others."

Emily looks at her and notices that her friend has a point. "I guess you're right but that's the part that scares me. If she is like me that means it would be almost impossible to reach out for her."

"I have to admit, you are pretty hard to reach out. Especially when you shut everyone out," the blonde pointed out. "Em, you are the closest thing she has to a mom. You have to hang in there, be there for her in order to let her know that she isn't alone," Penelope stated while reaching for Emily's hand. "She will see how much you love and care for her. Once she sees that, she will start opening up."

Emily smiles at her friend, grateful for the advice. "Thank you, Penelope. For everything."

"Anytime mama bear."

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Emily and Dani were sitting in the waiting area of the doctor's office. It was a nice looking family physician building with bright lights that beamed vividly. The walls were bright blue and the floor was squeaky clean. The place was rather empty, only having four other patients waiting in the room. Dani was sitting on the edge of her seat, bouncing her foot up and down. A habit she grew up with whenever she is anxious or nervous. She wasn't sure exactly why she was feeling this way. It was just something she couldn't control.

Emily was patiently waiting while reading a book. She noticed how jittery the teen was and placed her book down. "You okay?" she asked her.

Dani looks up at the brunette and shoots her a smile. "Yeah. A little nervous, that's all," Emily looks at her with a face of concern. "I just haven't been outside since… well, you know."

Emily nods in understanding. "Once the check-up is over we will go back home, okay?" She said while placing her hand on top of Dani's.

"Alright."

Just then Dani is called inside. Both ladies walk inside, greeted by a young nurse. The nurse guides them towards a small room that was right at the entrance. Dani enters the room and sits down on a chair while Emily is standing by the entrance. The nurse does a quick check-up, checking out the teen's heart rate, temperature, height, and weight. Emily was right, the girl did lose weight. Dani was always an active person, being involved in a lot of sports and outdoor activities but Emily knows that isn't the reason why she had lost weight. It's because of her kidnapping. After that incident, she noticed how Dani lost her appetite. After that was over, the nurse guided them to a larger room, telling them that the doctor would be there soon to check on them.

Dani is sitting on the practice table while Emily is sitting on a chair placed on the side. Dani rests her chin on her hand, feeling sleepy. _Damn. The caffeine wore down already, _she thought to herself.

They hear a knock on the door and watch as the door opens slowly, with the doctor entering the room. She is a young, caramel skin toned woman with nice frizzy hair. Dani's primary physician ever since Emily took her in.

"Why hello there, ladies," she greeted with a warm smile.

"Dr. Bailey. Nice to see you again," Emily said while standing up and stretching her hand. Both ladies greet each other with a firm handshake and a smile. Dr. Bailey looks at Dani who is sitting on the edge of the table.

"So, I heard you entered inside an MMA ring," she said with a sweet smile. She knew what really happened to Dani. Emily told her the day she made the appointment. She was caught up with everything, including the child's injuries.

"That's not exactly what happened," Dani said shyly. "I was actually wrestling alligators," she said with a smirk.

Both adults in the room chuckled at the teens' remark. "Knowing you, I wouldn't doubt you for one second," said the doctor.

"You know it, Doc," the teen said with a grin.

"Alright. I just need to check on your recovery," she said while putting on some latex gloves. "I will check on the cuts on your arms in order to make sure they are healing properly," she told the teen while walking towards her. Dani nods and slowly rolls up her sleeves, revealing the scars. She looks at them and frowns lightly, watching the lashes in her arms. She stretches her hands in order for the doctor to get a good look while diverting her eyes to the wall. This is why she wore long sleeves. She didn't want to see all the cuts that she had. Dr. Bailey looked at both arms and made sure they were healing properly.

Emily watched as the doctor examined the teen's arms. She saw how the lashes ran across her arm, some longer than others. She shudders as she remembers the live feed where she saw Dani receiving those cuts. Those cuts are a reminder that she failed to protect the girl on time.

"They seem to be healing very well. These scars should be gone in a few more weeks," she said with hope.

"How about the cut on the brow?" Dani asked quietly while looking at her.

"Let me take a look," Dr. Bailey told her. She reaches for the teen and slowly touches the stitches that are going through Dani's eyebrow, looking for anything unusual. Dani slightly winces with the doctor's touch, feeling a slight sting. The doctor gives her an apologetic look and places her hand down.

"Well, the stitches seem to be doing fine, which means they should dissolve just fine. The good thing that it is not infected," she pauses and looks at Emily who was listening attentively. "Unfortunately, the cut was deep in a rather sensitive area of the skin. There would most likely be a permanent scar left behind after the wound fully heals."

Dani looks down and sighs. "That's okay. As long as it doesn't hurt I will be fine."

"Once the stitches are gone, you won't feel any discomfort," the doctor assured her. "I promise."

Dani nods and glances at Emily. The agent is sitting on the chair and lightly smiles at her. "Scar or no scar, you look perfect," she told Dani. She smiles and turns her attention back to the doctor.

Doctor Bailey checked on the teen's rib as the final part of the check-up. Dani was lifting up her shirt while Dr. Bailey was lightly pressing on the side of her ribcage, asking her if she felt any discomfort when doing so. Dani replied honestly with a no. She had purple bruises in the abdomen area of her body but only felt slightly sore. Dr. Bailey took out her stethoscope and told the teen to take deep breaths in order to hear any crackling there could be. She was glad to hear the teen breathe normally without anything sounding unusual.

"Well, it looks like everything is pretty good. Your wounds are healing and soon enough you will be able to do activities without restrictions," Dr. Bailey told Dani while sitting down on a mobile stool. "For now I want you to continue resting and limit any physical stress. Take any pain medication only when you feel discomfort."

"That I can do," Dani said while hopping off the table. "So is the check-up over? Do I get a lollipop or something for my excellent behavior," she said jokingly.

The doctor chuckles as Emily shakes her head with a smile. "Not so fast, Daniela. We are almost done," Dr. Bailey said. "But you can get candy that is inside the top cabinet," she said while pointing out the cabinet. Dani smiles as she opens the cabinet door, revealing a jar of small sweets. She takes out a red tootsie pop and leans against the wall.

"What is there left?" She questioned while wrapping her arms on her chest.

"Well, as I said, you have been healing well physically. How about mentally?" asked the young doctor. Emily looks at the teen for a response.

"What do you mean?" asked Dani with a brow raised.

"What I'm saying is, have you recovered emotionally?" said the doctor. "What you have been through was a really hard and stressful experience. Experiences like the one you went through can negatively impact your mental health."

"I'm fine. There is nothing wrong with me," Dani said rather defensively.

Emily noticed the change of tone in the teen's voice. She stands up and walks in front of her. "We are not saying that something is wrong with you, Dan. We are just worried that what happened affected you emotionally," she said softly. "It's okay to feel sad or scared. Nothing to be ashamed about."

"But I don't feel that way. I'm good. I feel completely normal," Dani said while looking at Emily. She glances at the door, wanting to get out. "What happened out there… it's over. It's in the past now."

Dr. Bailey sits up and looks at the teen. "Daniela, these types of situations are not easy to overcome, especially for a teenager like yourself. This was a very traumatic experience you went through-"

"But it's not the first one," Dani said while interrupting the adult. She looks down at the floor with a frown on her face. "I've been through a lot of… hard times. I've managed to go on and push through without any problems. I don't need any help now," she pauses and glances up at the adults. She doesn't know why but she started to feel overwhelmed with the doctor's question. _Can't they just understand that I'm okay? What happened is now over. I can get through this by myself. Why can't they see that and let it rest? _The insistence that both Emily and Dr. Bailey has too much to handle at the moment. She now has the urge to get out. "I need to go to the bathroom," she told them. Dani opens the door and quickly walks out of the room, leaving both of them behind.

Emily sighs and turns around, facing the doctor. "She doesn't want to talk," she said in a defeated tone. "She has been quiet all week and when she talks she makes sure to avoid the topic of her abduction. When I try to ask her how she feels about it she shuts down."

Dr. Bailey stands up and looks at the worried brunette. "It isn't abnormal for her to display this behavior," she told Emily. "Daniela is right about her going through a lot of tough situations. Starting with witnessing her mother's battle against addiction and watching both family members die in front of her. This isn't counting her time in being in the foster care system," she pauses, feeling bad for the teen. "She was never offered the right support in order to properly heal from these traumas. The only way she knows how to deal with them is to hide her feelings of pain, locking them in order to suppress her negative emotions."

Emily is attentively listening to everything Dr. Bailey is saying. She is right, Dani was never given the opportunity of properly addressing her traumas with therapy or a support group. It makes sense that the teen would want to continue to suppress her pain. It's the only way she knows.

"What do you suggest I should do?" Emily asked.

"Make an appointment for a therapist. I can give you a list of very good therapists around the area," the doctor answered. "What is important right now is for Dani to talk. If she won't talk to you or to anyone, you have to take her to see a therapist."

Emily bites her bottom lip. She knows it would be an impossible task for her to take Dani to see a therapist. Emily has tried to take her before but Dani never liked the idea of seeing one.

"I know it won't be easy," Dr. Bailey told her. "But it's for the best. Try to get her to talk to you. If she won't open up, counseling will be our plan B."

"I just hope we don't end up using plan Z."


	37. Until You Tell Me

**`Chapter 37**

The remainder of the day went out pretty uneventful. Once they arrived home from the doctor's office, Dani went straight to her room and stood there for the rest of the evening, only coming down when Emily told her that dinner is ready. She remained rather quiet during dinner, not wanting to talk about anything while at the dinner table. Emily tried to come up with a meaningful conversation but the teen would just answer with a limited amount of words, showing no type of interest in talking to her.

She just didn't want to talk. No matter how hard Emily tried, Dani wouldn't budge when it came to talking to her.

Dani made sure to avoid any contact with Emily after dinner. She went straight to her room and stayed there for the rest of the night. Emily noticed how hostile the teen was with her, hardly allowing her to get close. She recalls this behavior as something Dani used to do when she first moved in with her. She was a very reserved and shy child. She did her best in limiting the amount of contact she would have with Emily. Emily knew the reason she did that back then was that the child was afraid and had trust issues. Emily knows that Foster children have a tendency in having a hard time getting attached emotionally to a person. She took small steps in order to form a bond with the girl, which took time and patience but eventually she was able to make a connection with her. Now Emily doesn't understand the exact reason behind the teen's behavior.

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Two days passed by after the doctors visit and Dani was still avoiding Emily. She barely stepped out of her room and kept the woman away at an arm's length. Something that was killing Emily inside. She waited until the next day in order to talk with Dani. She wanted to see if the teen would open up to her willingly or if she had to schedule an appointment with a therapist as her last resort when it came to her.

It was a rather calm afternoon. The house was quiet in an almost eerie way. Dani spent most of her day upstairs in her room with the excuse that she was doing homework. Emily knew what the teen said wasn't true. It was a Saturday, the teen never did any school work during the weekend. She knows she just said this in order to avoid her.

The brunette was finishing making toast for a sandwich when she saw Dani entering the kitchen. The teen entered and looked a little surprised when she saw Emily inside the kitchen, expecting her to be in her office during this time of the day. Emily cocked her head to the side and smiled at her.

"Hey, I just finished making toast. Why don't you sit at the table while I finish making sandwiches for both of us," she said while gesturing at the table.

"I uhh… I just wanted a bottle of water," Dani replied while leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Emily looks at the teen with a pleading face.

"Please," she said with puppy eyes. Dani looks at her and sighs.

"Okay," she said while walking towards the fridge and opening it. She takes out a cold bottle of water and walks back at the table, taking a seat.

Emily hides her smile as she makes sandwiches for both of them. She grabs the mayo jar and places a touch of it on the slices of bread. Once she finished, she placed a slice of ham on both sandwiches, accompanied by a slice of mozzarella cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. She places them on an individual plate and walks back in the dining room where Dani was waiting quietly.

"Here you go," Emily said while placing a plate in front of her daughter. She places her own plate on the table while she sits right across from Dani.

"Thanks," the teen replied while taking a bite of her sandwich. Emily carefully watches her as she takes a bite of her own sandwich.

They eat quietly, Dani completely ignoring Emily's presence. She never looked up at her, always looking down at the table without ever lifting up her gaze.

Emily quickly noticed the teens behavior. She noticed that Dani had no plans in talking with her. Hell, now she sees that the teen doesn't even want to see her. Her silence was killing Emily. She wanted to know why Dani was acting this way. Why did she suddenly become so distant? Was it something Emily said or did? She tries to think of reasons why the teen was acting this way. _Was it because I never told her about my past? Is she mad at me for not telling her? _She knows her telling Dani about her past as an undercover agent came in as a huge shocker to her. Emily has always been open to her about a lot of things. She always believes that in order to form a strong bond with a person that there has to be honesty. She always had that with Dani. Emily never lied to her or at least not that she can remember. She always came clean with the teen because she had no reason to lie to her.

This particular instance was different. Technically, she never lied to her, she just held back the truth. A flawed logic she knows this thinking is.

Emily waits a few more minutes to see if Dani would at least acknowledge her. After five minutes with absolutely no attempt from the girl, Emily decided to address the situation between the two of them. She clears her throat as an attempt in getting the teens attention. As if on cue, Dani glances up at Emily, both eyes locking each other. Emily takes this opportunity and starts to talk.

"Dan, I can't help but notice that you have been acting differently lately," she said. "Is everything okay? Is there something that is bothering you?"

"I don't know what you mean? Im fine. Nothing is bothering me," the teen replied back. She places her hands on the table looking rather worked up.

"Hun, we both know that's not true. I can tell something is disturbing you and I want to know what it is," she reaches over and places her hand on top of Dani's. "I want to help you."

Dani quickly removes her hand from the table, removing it from Emily's touch. "Emily, I told you I am fine. I don't know what else you want me to say," the teen said with a rather annoyed tone.

"Then why are you acting all differently all of the sudden? You talk less often and you rarely get out of your room. You don't have that spark of energy that is always in you anymore. This isn't you,"

"I am acting the same. It's just all in your head," Dani told the brunette. "And quite frankly, quit talking like if you know who I am."

"Because I do know who you are," Emily stated calmly, not wanting to escalate the situation.

"Well if you do then you could figure out why I supposedly change," the teen pointed out. "If i'm not mistaken your job is to analyze people's behavior in order to understand why they do the things they do. If you can do that with a complete stranger then you should be able to do that with me," she said. Dani leans on her chair and crosses her arms around her chest. "But I tell you right now you will just be wasting time because nothing is wrong with me."

"So you want me to profile you?" Emily questions.

"You do you," the teen simply replied. She pushes her chair back and gets up. "I'm tired. I will go to my room."

Emily stands up and looks at the girl. "We are not done talking. Stay. You can go back to your room once we finish this conversation."

"Well i'm done talking because there is nothing to talk about," Dani said while rolling her eyes in annoyance. She pushes her chair back at the table and turns her back, walking away from Emily. Emily moves her head to the side with an astonished expression. She couldn't believe Dani was just going to walk away from her. Emily paces behind Dani until she catches up to her. Before the teen can make it to the stairs, Emily walks in front of her, blocking her path.

"Sit," Emily told her with a stern voice while gesturing at the living room couch. Dani stares at her for a moment, hoping the adult would just move out of the way. She noticed that Emily wasn't budging so the teen let out a frustrated sigh and reluctantly walked in the living room. She sits on the couch like Emily told her to do so. Emily takes a deep breath and walks inside the living room. She sits on the coffee table, wanting to be able to see the child face to face.

"So, you just plan on saying nothing?" She questioned Dani while looking directly at her. The teen just shrugs her shoulder and slouches on the couch. She diverts her eyes to the floor.

"Dani, I know something is bothering you and I want to know what it is so I can help you," Emily says with a worried tone.

"What makes you think something is bothering me?" Dani mumbled while staring at the ground.

"You have been acting distant lately. Especially from me," the agent said, sounding a bit hurt. "You hardly talk to me and each time I try to start a conversation you shut me down. You try everything you can to not cross paths with me, avoiding me at all cost. It's like I'm a complete stranger to you."

Dani starts bouncing her foot without her even noticing. "I uhh… I just need space for now, that's all," she rambled.

"And I respect that. I thought in time you would start to open up but I see that's not the case," Emily said while placing her hand on the teens bouncing knee. "I need to know why you are avoiding me. Is it because you are mad at me?"

"No," Dani answered while shaking her head.

"Then why?" Asked the brunette.

Dani opened her mouth but closed it, not knowing what to say. "It's complicated. I… It doesn't matter. Everything is fine. Why would you assume that I am mad at you?"

"Because of everything that happened these past few days. I know you are probably mad about me not telling you about my past. It came to you as a shocker and I'm sorry. You have to understand that-"

"I told you that I'm not mad about that! Why won't you believe me?" Dani said in a wretched tone while raising her hands.

"Then why, Daniela?" Emily shoots back. She hated pushing the teen like this but she had to know why her daughter was becoming so detached.

"It's nothing Emily! I just… I just want to be alone. Is that too hard to ask?" She said with her voice cracking in the last sentence. She tries to stand up to leave but Emily doesn't allow her to go.

"You are not going until you tell me. It's the only way for me to help you. We are staying in here until you tell me," Emily said, sounding a bit more demanding than she intended to be.

She noticed that the whole time both of them were talking, Dani never looked at her directly at her eyes. The girl had her eyes fixed on the floor even while talking to her. She recalls this behavior from two years ago when Emily first took her in. She knows this behavior is normal when it comes to children with temporary homes. It can be for many different reasons, from fear of attachment to traumas. It took Emily months in order for her to teach Dani proper eye contact. Ever since then, Dani herself tries her best to leave her old habit and start seeing people eye to eye but there are moments like this where the girl gets triggered by something which makes her go back to avoid eye contact.

Dani looks at her and frowns with both anger and confusion. She feels like her chest is on fire and her throat was burning with a feeling she refused to let out. She was desperate to escape, to run away from everything. It was how she solved her problems, by running away, far from anyone but Emily wouldn't let her.

It looked like she had no choice.

"Fine! You want to know why I've been acting like this? Why do I suddenly want to walk away from you and cut you off? You want to know the truth about all this shit, well fine I will tell you!" The teen said, nearly exploding. She has rarely raised her voice at Emily and part of her didn't mean to at this moment but all of this was too much for her. She tried everything she could to suppress this but now it was all coming out in a mix of emotions that she couldn't understand. It was like a volcano about to erupt.

Emily looks at her trying her best to hide away her shock. She didn't know exactly what to expect Dani's reaction would be but this was definitely not what she had in mind. She sees that Dani really didn't want to tell her but now that she is she is getting out all her emotions at once.

"The reason I try to distance myself away from you is not because I'm mad at you. It's… it's because i'm scared of losing you," she said with her voice cracking more and more with each sentence. She looks straight at Emily for a moment, feeling tears lingering in the back of her eyes. She immediately looks away and tries to compose herself. She blinks several times, trying to get rid of her tears.

Dani's response was unexpected to Emily. She thought that the girl was mad but in actuality, she was scared. She looks at the girl who was looking down at the floor, avoiding her look. She looked tense and scared and Emily wanted to calm her nerves down. She gently reaches for her, lifting up Dani's chin, moving her head until they meet face to face. Dani's eyes were glossy and Emily knew that she was hurt.

"Hun, what do you mean by that?" She asked softly. Dani looks away again and inhales deeply before starting to talk.

"That night when I was kidnapped, I uhh… I was scared. I mean the guy, Declan, he clearly stated he wanted me dead. I had so much shit going through my head I didn't know what to think. Then I saw you come in…" she paused and glanced up at Emily for a second before drifting her eyes down to her hands. "I was confused about why you were there and why this guy was so angry at you. Then I noticed the real target was you. When he pulled the gun put and pointed at you, I felt my heart drop immediately. He wanted to… kill you. I wasn't just scared. I was terrified. I was frightened at the fact that if he would have pulled the trigger I would have lost you forever," she swallows down the fiery feeling she felt in her throat. "Emily, I can't do this anymore. I don't want to bury another person I love. I've already done it twice and my heart can't take it anymore. First it was my brother then it was my mom. Emily, I was about to lose you too. I don't…" she starts to sniffle, not being able to hold back much longer. "I just can't go through that again," she whispered. She feels tears streaming down her face and tries to wipe her face but there was no use, more tears came pouring in right afterwards.

Emily's heart immediately breaks as she sees the girl break down. She stands up from the coffee table and sits next to Dani, pulling her into her arms. Dani tried to pull away but she felt too weak and Emily had a firm grip on her. Emily pulls her close, both hands wrapped around the teens smaller frame. She held her without saying anything as the girl cried.

Dani releases everything she has been holding inside for the last days. The tears and sobs were slowly building up inside her until she just couldn't bear the weight any longer. She thought suppressing them would work but now she sees that wasn't the answer. She leans on Emily and and continues to cry, strong sobs escaping from her chest.

Emily wraps one arm around Dani while smoothing her hair with another, soothing her quietly. She hated seeing her daughter cry because she knew it meant that she was hurt. Each sob that she heard from the girl would pierce through her heart. The teen was having a rather hard time to breathe at a normal pace. Her cries were making it difficult for her to do so. Emily was talking to her in a gentle voice, telling her that it's okay. She held back tears of her own that were stinging in the back of her eyes, wanting to be strong for her daughter.

Emily held Dani close to her until the girl calmed down. Once she hears Dani's breathing back at a normal pace, she kisses the side of Dani's head and slowly lets go of her. Dani wipes her tears away as she looks at the opposite direction, not wanting to have eye contact with Emily. She did this for a few reasons. One of them was because she felt too embarrassed about her crying like a small child in front of the woman. Another reason was because of all the guilt she feels about treating Emily like a stranger. It wasn't fair of her to do so. Emily didn't deserve to be treated like this from her. All she wanted to do was help but Dani kept pushing her back.

Emily gently rubs the teens back with one hand, knowing this motion would help her calm down. Then she looks at Dani, trying to find the right words to say. "Dan, is that why you were pushing me away? You don't want to get attached because you are afraid of losing me?" she said with a small, saddening voice.

Dani looks up, eyes slightly red from crying. "I thought that if I walk away from you now it wouldn't hurt as much when I lose you. I just… it's the same story over and over again. I meet someone, I get too close, and just when things are starting to look bright, I lose them," she looks down at the floor. "I don't want to lose you too."

Emily's heart aches as she hears Dani say this. The poor girl was right. The people she would consider family were taken away from her one way or another leaving her out alone. The world has treated her so cruelly, hardly ever allowing Dani to be a normal kid. Dani has been taught the toughest of life lessons, one of them being there is no such thing as happy endings. Emily wanted to change that.

"Baby, I didn't know you were feeling this way," the adult admitted. "But you have to know that you won't lose me. I will never leave you alone," Emily promised.

"And how are you sure of that?" Dani asked while looking at her.

"Because I love you. Dan, you are the reason why my heart keeps beating. As long as we are together, nothing bad is going to happen to me or you," Emily said while reaching for the girl's hand. "And it's not only me. You have a whole family now and no one can take that away from you. Everyone in the team sees you as another member of our crazy dysfunctional family."

Dani cracks a small smile at Emily's comment. "It is pretty crazy but I think that's why I fit in," said the girl with a sniffle. "I really love all of you guys. I just… I just don't want to lose you all."

"And you won't. I promise,"Emily said while giving the girls hand a light squeeze.

Dani looks at her hands and squeezes back, knowing that Emily wouldn't break her promise. She lowers her gaze to the floor. "Em, i'm sorry for the way I treated you. I was an idiot. I'm really sorry," she said, completely guilt ridden.

"Hey, you don't have to apologize for anything. I completely understand," Emily said in a soft voice.

"But I do. I treated you badly and you are the last person to deserve it. You did everything to reach out to me and I acted like a complete ass, pushing you away." She takes a deep breath, recalling all the times she closed off Emily. "After everything that has happened you should be mad at me and I get that. I always screw things up."

"Hey, that's not true," Emily told her daughter. "I could never be mad at you, hun. I know why you felt inclined in backing away from the people you love. I… I do that sometimes too," she admits rather melancholy.

"You do?" asked Dani with a brow raised. Emily nods. "I landed in a few situations where instead of reaching out for help, I shut people out, wanting to run away from them," Emily explained. She recalls various situations in the past where she did this. One of them being going after Doyle without telling her team. She still wasn't sure whether or not she did the right thing. She pushed them out in order to protect them but ended up hurting them. Part of her regrets her decision. "And from personal experience I can tell you that it doesn't work like that, baby. When you step away from the people you love you will end up hurting yourself more than you can think."

Dani looks at her hands and sighs. "I just want to live without this fear of everything being taken away from me again. I just… I don't want to live through that again."

"And you won't. I promise," Emily assured her. She scoots in closer to Dani and wraps her arms around her. Dani leans on the woman, feeling complete comfort in her embrace. She rests her head under the crook of Emily's neck, smelling the scent of fine Marc Jacobs perfume. The nice floral fragrance Emily would always use. She snuggles closer, feeling the warm protection of the hug.

Emily keeps her close, not wanting to let go. Part of her feels better knowing what was bothering Dani. Emily desperately wanted to know why the kid was acting so differently and if there was something she could do to help. Now she knows the reason but that doesn't take away from the fact that it made her heart wrench knowing how much Dani was suffering emotionally. She never wants her child to be tormented with the thoughts of being abandoned.

She just wants Dani to be happy.

Still having her arms wrapped around Dani, Emily starts to speak. "Dani, I need you to promise me something, love."

"What is it?" Asked Dani while looking up at her.

"I need you to promise me that you will talk to me about anything that is bothering or upsetting you. No matter what it is or how insignificant you think it is, I want you to tell me. I just want to help you and the only way I can do that is if you tell me."

Dani looks at her a little confused but nods. "Sure, I guess."

Emily slowly pulls back from the embrace and frowns lightly. She lifts Dani's chin up so that they are seeing each other at eye level. "Promise me, Dan," she told her, wanting a firm response.

"I promise," the teenager responded with a smile. Emily smiles back happily. She reaches over and places her palm on the side of Dani's cheek, smoothing her skin.

"You know that I love you so much. Right, Dan?"

Dani rested her head slightly on the palm Emily was holding her, feeling the soft touch. She nods, hearing the words out of Emily's mouth. She noticed that Emily truly loves her without any limitations. She doesn't understand why but she knows that it's true. That is all that really mattered to her. "I love you too, Em."

Emily's smile widens hearing her words. She leans forward and kisses Dani's head, making the girl slightly blush in the process. They both smile at each other, feeling a weight off their back. They know everything they went through has been really hard to get through, both still scared of something bad happening to one another but they know they can get through it as long as they are together.

And both of them promised they will always have each other.


	38. Chapter 38

Hello fellow readers,

I want to start off by saying sorry for not updating the story. In all honesty, I have lost track of the last time I posted an update(Maybe like a month or two). These last few months have been busy as heck. College online is surely something new to me, especially as a freshman. With classwork, HW, and projects, I have had a lot on my plate. This made me pause in continuing to update the story.

Even though I have stopped updating, I have still been writing in my free time. I love writing this story and I am very passionate about it. So do not fret, the story will continue, with changes and updates.

1\. I will stop continuing updates on . Instead, this story will be posted and updated on Wattpad. This is due to various reasons, mainly being that Wattpad is a much more easy and convenient platform to post updates. TBH, I also think it is more suitable for readers with a better reading display.

U can find this story with the same title "Healing Together" with the username of the author as Thecomicreader

2\. The story is a revised version of the original! That means this story has been edited and revised from the original. I made readjustments in order to better the story. This is to better the plot premise and so readers can better understand the charecters.

I am really excited to upload my story to Wattpad. I hope you guys will give it a chance. I am sorry if the change in platform is an inconvenience but I promise that this version is far more detailed and has a stronger plot premise.

I will start by uploading the first 6 revised chapters. I will continue the updates either bi-weekly or once a month.

-Enjoy and please check out the new version in Wattpad and let me know what you think from the chapters over there. Adding the story to your Library will ensure you get chapter updates notifications.


	39. Wattpad Link

here is the link for the Wattpad story

story/242618034-healing-together

Just in case you cant use the link use the fallowing instructions

1\. Go to Wattpad. Either in the app or browser.

2\. Go to the search engine

3\. Type in my user profile, Thecomicreader

4\. If in browser, click on the user profile that appears on the right. If on the app, click on profiles.

5\. You will see my profile as Gabbz Thecomicreader. Click on the profile.

6\. BAM! You found the story :)


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